by: Trent Becker
Full schedules of Independence Day celebrations are slated to sparkle the sky in Pittsburg and the surrounding communities, offering countless festivities spanning across the upcoming 4th of July weekend.
Thursday, July 3
Pittsburg: Starting at 6 p.m., the city of Pittsburg will begin its full schedule of festivities with a free night of family fun. In addition to the opening of “Kiddieland,” children’s games start at 6:30 p.m. and last until 8:30 p.m.
Furthermore, Pittsburg will have a bounce house from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. followed by a movie showing, “Angels in the Outfield,” starting at 9 p.m. by the band dome area.
Hepler: If you’re in the mood for a good ole’ fashion rodeo, Hepler’s 44th annual Ruritan Club will host a variety of events starting at 8 p.m. The rodeo will include steer wrestling, saddle bronc, bareback riding, team roping, bullriding and more. The town is also holding a dance from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. that evening.
Friday, July 4
Pittsburg: The biggest day for Pittsburg’s celebration begins at 7:30 a.m. Friday with the Firecracker 5K run at the Four Oaks golf course. A multitude of events is scheduled to begin around 8 a.m. and continue through the day. This includes a free zumbathon event at the tennis courts, a fishing derby, the Rollin’ Nostalgia Car Show at McNally Drive and a bicycle ride.
With “Kiddieland” opening at 10 a.m., many events follow. These include a wiffle ball tournament, a horseshoe tournament, a baby contest, radio-controlled airplanes, a beer garden, a youth and adult bocce tournament, building blocks of fun, a hotdog eating contest, a dog show, a disc golf tournament and a free swimming session. Throughout the day several bands and radio stations will perform at the band dome in Lincoln Park as well.
With all of the festivities, one feature is a mock battle by the 772 National Guard Unit. Closing the night, this year’s firework’s display features a sight in the $16,000 range. The show starts at 10 p.m. Additional information can be found at www.pittks.org.
Fort Scott: This year’s celebration in Fort Scott, sponsored by the Youth Activities Team, is being held at Ellis Park. The day’s events will begin at 8 a.m. and include the Burke Street parade at 10 a.m., live entertainment throughout the day, along with the building of a playground at Ellis Park. The fireworks display will begin at dusk.
Hepler: The local parade is expected to begin at 11 a.m. with kid games to begin at 1:30 p.m. The fireworks display will start shortly after the evening’s rodeo.
Saturday, July 5
Pittsburg: On the schedule for Saturday include an early morning tennis tournament starting at 8:30 a.m. If kids didn’t get a chance to catch the fun on Friday they can hit up “Kiddieland,” which is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Girard: The Smoking Hot Independence Day celebration is slated to begin at 7:30 a.m. with the Firecracker 5K. At 5 p.m. vendors will open their doors, in addition to the beer garden and fun inflatables. Subsequently, the Wutke family watermelon feed is scheduled for 6 p.m., followed by kids games at 6:30 p.m. and a hot pepper eating challenge at 7:30 p.m.
Trailing these events remains a live music performance featuring the Shane Duling Band and Clean Slate. The fireworks display will follow at 9:30 p.m. For additional information on Girard’s Smoking Hot Independence Day, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/celbrategirard.