Bountiful will celebrate its 57th annual Handcart Days on July 20 and 21 with the Grand Parade, traditional events and a few new opportunities.

Friday night is loaded with big attractions. This year's parade theme is "Freedom Through Service and Sacrifice" and features close to 100 entries. The parade starts at 6 p.m., beginning at 1500 S. Main, traveling north on Main and ending at 400 North.

"I love the parade with the bands and the floats," said Richard Cook, member of the Handcart Days public relations committee. "It's something I can take my family to and when it's over we hustle right over to the park. The food and entertainment is great."

Friday night's entertainment is Bountiful's own American Idol finalist, Carmen Rasmusen. She will be giving a free concert including her new single, "Nothin' Like the Summer," at Bountiful City Park after the parade.

The evening's activities end with a bang. After the concert, fireworks will fill the sky from Celebration Park just east of Mueller Junior High.

Bountiful City Park will have games, entertainment and food concessions available from Friday at 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and again Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

"It's good clean family fun," said Jackie Davis, who is helping her husband Grant as chairman of the Handcart Days. "We make it family oriented."

Pony rides, pioneer games, giant inflatables, and a climbing wall are some of the activities available each day for the children.

Entertainment will continue throughout each day with the only break in the schedule for the parade. A variety of Utah singing and dancing groups will perform nonstop on the stage. Some of the groups performing will be Sunshine Generation, Endless Summer Band, Beehive Statesmen and Muddy Gutter Boys Band.

Saturday morning activities resume with the traditional chuckwagon breakfast sponsored by the Bountiful Exchange Club and a 5K fun run.

New this year is an opportunity for residents to visit the new South Davis Recreation Center. It will host a variety of sports tournaments and offering two hours of free swimming in the new pools. The facility houses an indoor family leisure pool with play features, a water slide and a lazy river, as well as an outdoor competitive pool.

The Bountiful/Davis Art Center, 745 S. Main, opened its "Celebrating our Heritage" exhibit featuring paintings, drawings, photography, quilts, pottery, crafts and more June 20 and goes through July 21 during the center's regular hours.

For updated information about Handcart Days 2007, refer to the official Web site, handcartdays.org.

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E-mail: dramsay@desnews.com