ANTHEM – For the seventh year in a row, it’s once again time to mark those two April days on your calendar–that’s right, it’s Anthem Days. On April 8 and 9 Anthem’s largest event of the season will take place at Anthem Community Park.

The 64 acre park could become the playground of as many as 12,000 people, according to Steve Boyle, special events coordinator for Anthem Community Center. “It’s the Anthem community coming together,” he said, adding that people come from all over the Valley and not just Anthem to attend the event.

New this year to Anthem Days is the inclusion of live entertainment at the food court (in addition to the main stage). The food court will be on the grass this year, whereas in previous years it was in the parking lot. Also new in 2006 is a three on three basketball tournament, a golf putting contest and the Highland Games.

For the kids, Anthem Days has several new activities including a plasma car rodeo for toddlers conducted in a hockey rink by Learning Express and the Toddler Games which take place in the amphitheater and include four events, Safety City and Driving School, Playtime Picnic Place, Toddler Art Festival and Balloon Volleyball. Participating children will receive driver’s licenses, certificates of completion and stickers. All of the play equipment used for the Toddler Games will be raffled off at the end of the day Sunday for $1 tickets.

For those who want to get a little exercise, there will be a 5k run and a Kids’ Dash on Saturday morning sponsored by DCB Adventures. The 5k begins at 8:30 a.m. and has a $1,000 purse to be split among the top five finishers. The Kids’ Dash begins at 9:30 a.m.

The Egg Stravaganza event on Sunday at 11 a.m. is sponsored by the Fellowship Church @ Anthem and will make thousands of eggs (filled with candy and prizes) available for discovery for children from age 2 years through fifth grade.

The Kids’ Zone includes a bouncy house, a giant slide and other jump devices for children to burn off some of those egg hunt bounty calories. A $3 wristband is good all day.

Live entertainment will be provided throughout Anthem Days on both the main stage and at the food court and will include the music of Australian surf rocker Lee Coulter who describes himself as “Jack Johnson meets John Mayer” and the Sahnas Brothers and their Spanish guitars. Also performing will be the local choral group ProMusica Arizona, a group of high school students who won the Anthem Community Center’s Battle of the Bands in February called One Bullet Left in the Chamber and also a group of rock and roll firemen who used to work at Station 7 in Phoenix called Angry House 7.

Hot air balloon rides will be offered on Saturday beginning at sunset (about 7 p.m.) and will continue for approximately two hours. Approximately 20 trips are scheduled and four to six passengers can be accommodated on each ride.

As in past years, Frazier Shows Carnival will be set up on the lower park and include a ferris wheel, roller coaster, and other rides for children. On the upper park, the Business and Arts & Crafts Fair will host local merchants offering promotions and giveaways and artists showing their work, including jewelry, pottery, painting photography and other media.

“It’s a chance for the community to come out and experience fun in the Anthem Community Park,” Boyle said, “to enjoy the carnival, the food, the weather and Anthem. It’s a good time.”

Anthem Days will take place Saturday April 8 and Sunday April 9 at Anthem Community Park, 41703 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway in Anthem. For businesses and artists wishing to participate, information and registration forms are available from Steve Boyle at the Anthem Community Center, 41130 N. Freedom Way, Anthem (623) 879 3044. Spaces are available from $275 to $950. Registration deadline is March 24; after that a $50 late fee applies. People interested in registering for the basketball tournament should contact Aaron Williams at (623) 551 9706.

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