Two well-attended parades with festivals attracted thousands in Yadkin County over the weekend, including the annual Yadkinville July 4 Parade and the 20th Annual East Bend God & Country Celebration.

Kids scrambled for candy Saturday morning as the 20th Annual East Bend God & Country Celebration got underway with a long parade.

Amanda Boyer of the Yadkin County Rescue Squad was in its truck in the parade. Destiny Porter was driving one tractor entry. Jamie McRae of East Bend was waving to the parade entries as they passed.

Nathaniel Bonds was having fun as was Dylan Ball and Ryan Ball and their mother Kara. Daisy the golden lab was with owner Christy Jones of East Bend down the street.

Sheila Bishop and Sheila Vogler were in charge of food booths, with Wanda Hall in charge of craft booths and George Hennings and Shirley Flood offered parade information. Judy Smitherman and Henry Bowman handled entertainment, Kenny Davis coordinated children's activities and Candice Dinkins sold ads.

There was Laken and Skyland Johnston holding bags for the candy. Also watching intently was Timothy Hazelwood, Annette Burton and Bailey Tedder.

Matthew McLean was looking out of the passenger window of the Forbush Volunteer Fire Department truck.

Laura Taylor of East Bend had a good spot for watching the parade, and Maggie Miller of Boonville was in perfect sitting distance from the action. With a Christ is King cap Dean Bottoms of East Bend was protecting his face from the sun.

Andrea Cummings was with Haylee Nance of Yadkinville were having fun.

Jan Hicks and Pat Williams were helping with the library funding.

"Right now we are trying to raise $50,000 to help us with a matching ground that a foundation is planning to give us in September. That would be $100,000 from them," said Hicks.

Public figures were placed in a fake jail cell to raise more money for the East Bend Public Library, and members of the building committee were spreading the word about the cause which has raised $504,129, so far.

To donate, send contributions to The East Bend Public Library Building Committee, P.O. Box 69, East Bend, N.C. 27108. Visit the library's web site at www.eastbendpubliclibrary.com.

"We are going to get bids in the coming weeks and start construction in the fall," she said. "Library use is up everywhere, including East Bend. A lot of folks can't afford an Internet connection. They've had to let that go because they've been laid off. The library sees dozens of people every day who just want to use the computer.

"That's not including people who come for print materials. We have a real strong children's program. We don't have space to hold them.

"East Bend Baptist Church lets them use their fellowship hall for programming. It's going to help the whole community to have a facility to provide what we need. This new building will have a meeting space. Right now there are spaces to seat about 10 people. It's just inadequate for the demands the community is putting on it. We have wireless. We will have laptops in the new facility."

Sheriff Michael Cain, dressed in a red shirt, was in the parade, and at the school he smoked a cigarette, holding his hands together in the makeshift fundraising cell to raise money.

The library is selling T-shirts for $15 to raise funds too.

Entertainment included New Jerusalem of Mount Airy, Rose of Sharon, Distant Thunder, Larissa Brown and The Boys.

The celebration was started around 1903 when buggy maker J.G. Huff organized a fiddler's convention. The parade featured a 17-foot violin, and in 2009 there was a replica entered in the parade by Hoke Matthews.

In 1990 citizens brought the celebration back to life. Principal Kelly Byrd Johnson of East Bend Elementary School allowed the school property to be used along with the permission of Yadkin County Schools.

In Yadkinville on Sunday at 3 p.m. the parade got underway.

Afterward at Yadkinville Elementary School there were many kiosks, and Singer Mikaley Lane of East Bend was with her grandmother, Lori Lane. She sings "Celebration" and "Zippidee Doo-Dah." She likes the fireworks the most.

Eddie Vogler, 51, with the National Guard was home. He is based in Winston-Salem, and he expects to be deployed "definitely."

"The Fourth of July means everything to me," he said. "It's a very patriotic day."

Jim Sharp was staffing the sound board as a band played. Wanda Walls of the Yadkinville Downtown Business Association was helping out with the association's tent. Kids were swinging hula hoops to the music.

Arlene Frazier and Joey Johnson of Green Mesa Blueberry Farm at 3532 Baptist Church Road in Boonville was selling blueberries under a tent. She has two acres. "I set my plants out seven years ago," she said. "We started picking two weeks ago. We usually start July 4. We should have them until the end of July or the first of August."