"See that man over there with the white shirt and tie?," volunteer Mike Johnston shouted through a bullhorn to about two dozen children, each holding a cup full of water after playing a game.
"Get him wet!"
Powell, who hopes to represent House District 54 in the Utah legislature, sprinted for cover, but he wasn't fast enough. Minutes later, he was soaked.
"Anyone who shows up to a Fourth of July festival in a suit deserves to get wet," Johnston said of his friend Powell. "He is a good sport."
About 450 people celebrated Independence Day at the third annual "Old-fashioned Fourth of July Celebration" in Heber City Park Friday, a small community effort to get more people from Heber City and neighboring towns to come together and get to know each other, said Tom Stone, director of the Heber City Community Alliance for Main Street.
Volunteers from the Heber City Fire Department flipped burgers and grilled hot dogs, while one of the department's fire trucks sprayed water on children desperate to cool off in 90-degree temperatures. A member of the Heber City Council volunteered to help serve food.
"This is a community effort," said Pat Kohler, who moved to Heber City from Connecticut six years ago to retire. She has since gotten involved in revitalizing Main Street and volunteering in community events.
"I love the area," Kohler said. "You can't beat the small-town feel."
Some children's faces were streaked in red, white and blue, while other kids raced with their parents in the "three-legged" race. Several people chose to cool off in the shade singing along to recorded oldies music.
Ruth Holmes of Heber City, who won the adult round of the watermelon-eating contest, brought three of her sons and one grandchild to the festival for the first time this year. In years past, she chose to travel over the holiday weekend.
"This is what kids need," she said. "They need to feel connected and grounded to the community."
In other Independence Day events in the Heber Valley, Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert was one of many who showed up to a pioneer breakfast in Midway, a fundraising event sponsored by a local church.
The day came to a finale with fireworks at Midway's Memorial Hill.
Kohler said Heber City's downtown revitalizationefforts and more events like the annual Fourth of July festivities are bringing the community together.
"We've had a lot of people this year who hadn't been here before, and they say 'thank you,' " she said. "That's the payback."
