POCATELLO — To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, Historic Downtown Pocatello will host a two-day event culminating in the annual Independence Day parade.

The festivities kick off with Historic Downtown’s First Friday Art Walk July 3. As part of America’s 250th anniversary, community members are invited to participate in a special celebration starting at 5 p.m. on the east side of the Marshall Public Library, 113 S. Garfield Ave.

In commemoration of this milestone, the city has worked with area residents to construct a community time capsule that will be opened in 2076. The items within will reflect everyday life in 2026. Once completed, the capsule will be permanently mounted on the second floor of the library.

Pocatello Mayor Mark Dahlquist will deliver opening remarks at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature food trucks, along with water and cookies provided by Walmart.

July 3 also marks the anniversary of Idaho’s statehood, granted in 1890.

The following morning, area residents can experience the annual Independence Day parade beginning at 9:30 a.m. July 4 in Historic Downtown Pocatello.

With 84 entries — including area businesses, organizations and a wide array of community groups — the parade will be one of the largest yet. Parade-goers can expect floats, historic cars, music, animals, dignitaries, candy and a few unexpected surprises.

The parade route will close to traffic at 8 a.m. The procession begins at the corner of West Fremont and North Main, travels north to Sublette, turns left onto Arthur, heads south on Arthur to Bonneville, then turns left at Bonneville back onto Main Street, continuing to Lander, where the parade will disperse in the Union Pacific parking lots.

Due to the closure of the Center Street Underpass, the parade route will run only on the west side of downtown. Organizers are asking the community to make a special effort to visit the east side of the underpass — to shop, grab a meal, enjoy a cold drink and support local businesses in the area.

“We ask folks to please be patient,” said Stephanie Palagi, president and CEO of Historic Downtown Pocatello. “We want everyone to have a safe time. We want families to enjoy the parade. It’s a great idea to come early, stop at your favorite coffee shop downtown, grab a drink, have some breakfast, shop at the farmers market and then make your way to the parade route. Plan on taking some time to get out of downtown after the parade and just enjoy the day — without the urgency of driving too fast, causing an accident or having a child get hurt.”

This year’s Independence Day Parade is made possible through sponsorships by the City of Pocatello and Idaho Central Credit Union, along with the support of participating area businesses and organizations.

Registration is open through July 3. Visit historicdowntownpocatello.com for the registration link and parade details.