Asked why Bush accepted Woodward's invitation, his spokesman in Dallas, Rob Saliterman, said only: "President Bush believes there is no place better than Woodward, Oklahoma, to celebrate the Fourth of July and looks forward to being part of this event."

Though Bush left office with a dismal 34 percent approval rating, he remains popular in Oklahoma. The state hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and was the only state in 2008 where every county voted for Republican John McCain. Bush carried 81 percent of the vote in Woodward in the 2004 elections.

"Maybe some young kids and old Democrats didn't vote for him, but I think the rest of us did," said Kris Day, who owns The Cowboy's Tack Shop with her husband.

Bush's stop in Woodward, situated about 150 miles from Oklahoma City, will be the first presidential visit to the town since the late 1950s, when Dwight Eisenhower landed at the airport outside town en route to view drought damage in the area, City Manager Alan Riffel said. Bush stopped in Woodward once before, while campaigning for his father's presidential bid two decades ago.

Seats for the speech range from $25 to $500 for the "Oval Office Ticket," situated in the first rows, close to Bush, VIP parking and complimentary beverages. Mayor Bill Fanning said tickets have been sold to people from as far away as Pennsylvania and Nevada.

"It basically has changed the mindset of the community," the city manager said. "Now we can step out on any stage, we can host whatever type of event we can dream of and make it happen here in Woodward. That's a huge step for a small town in northwestern Oklahoma."