There'll be dancing in the streets!

Velva's Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration will delight young and old alike. The day kicks off with a parade featuring floats, antique cars, marching band, horses and a Kiddy Parade. The rest of the day is filled with special activities, most of them in the City Park. Here you will find foot races, water fights, bingo, softball games, picnics and concessions. The Roughriders sponsor a two-day rodeo over the Fourth, highlighted by a rodeo dance. (There is a variety of live music in town throughout the weekend, so put on your dancing shoes! Family and class reunions are often held during the Fourth of July celebration, so you're sure to make some new friends -- or get reacquainted with old ones.

As October approaches, businesses and organizations in Velva begin preparing for the annual Halloween party, a community-sponsored event that provides a warm, safe haven for our children. Booths featuring contests and games fill the firehall, and children spend several hours collecting candy and prizes while enjoying the offerings. While most of them begin the evening by traveling our well-lit streets and knocking on doors, trick or treaters of all ages eventually end up at our Halloween bash!

We also know how to celebrate Christmas in style. Our citywide Santa Daze celebration is held the first weekend in December and offers something for everyone. There are sleigh rides, movies, free photos with Santa for the kids, marvelous crafts and bake sales. The Velva Invitational Wrestling Tournament is this weekend, as well, attracting teams and fans from across the state.

The North Dakota State Fair also brings a bevy of people to the area, as it's held just down the road in Minot. Running for nine days at the end of July, there is no end to the entertainment found here! Past concert performers have included Garth Brooks, The Judds, Sawyer Brown, Huey Lewis and the News, Alabama, George Strait, Doobie Brothers and the Beach Boys. There are concerts nearly every night featuring high quality entertainment such as this. Throw in stock car races, a huge midway, tons of food, hundreds of displays, livestock shows, free stages, two beer gardens with live entertainment, a big-time rodeo and thousands of people, and you've got one good time! And you're so close, there's no hotel bill!

The Norsk Høstfest, also held in Minot, attracts people from around the world. Featuring ethnic food, arts, crafts, music and dance -- along with headline entertainment like Bill Cosby, Liza Minnelli and Clint Black -- this week-long Scandinavian celebration is world-renowned. Kings and queens have graced this event, as well as some of the most talented chefs and artisans on the planet. The Norsk Høstfest is the largest Scandinavian festival in North America and it's more fun than you can imagine!