There will be something for everyone this Fourth of July weekend.
The Jacksonville High School stadium on Friday is where the city celebrates “With Liberty and Justice for All,” the 2009 Patriotic Spectacular honoring our country’s finest men and women.
The entertainment starts at 6:30 p.m. with country, opera, Christian and contemporary music. A Kids Fun Area will be open at 7 to 8:15 p.m. with Radio Disney, face painting, inflatables and more. The dramatic musical, “With Liberty and Justice for All,” will begin at 8:15 p.m. on the main stage with talent from church choirs, youth choirs, dancers and actors.
The Patriotic Youth Choir will sing and re-enact from Indian and pioneer days.
Jacksonville’s new mayor, Gary Fletcher, will be Abe Lincoln. Many other city officials also have roles in the musical and re-enactments.
Community Hero awards will also be given to American Idol Kris Allen, civic employees and other professionals. The evening will end with a spectacular fireworks display by lawyer Hubert Alexander.
The Jacksonville High School Band Booster Club will sell concessions. Admission is free. The Advertising and Promotion commission, churches, businesses and civic clubs, sponsor the event.
Sherwood will have its Fourth of July celebration starting at 6 p.m. Saturday at Sherwood Forest. There will be music and entertainment, presentation of colors, and hot dogs and drinks while they last. It’s free and open to the public. Fireworks start at 9 p.m.
Ward is expecting about 5,000 spectators for its annual Fourth of July fireworks display. But the festivities begin before dark with a parade at 4 p.m. followed by the opening ceremony complete with an honor guard at 5 p.m.
The activities include a tractor pull and car show. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be served. Legacy, a band from Cabot, will perform.
In Cabot, the celebration is on Friday at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church at Hwy. 89 South and Hwy. 321. A patriotic program is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., followed by fireworks at 9 p.m.
In the community of Floyd, on Hwy. 31 between Beebe and Romance, the Fourth of July festivities start at 10 a.m., with a parade that includes horses and floats, and lasts until the end of the fireworks at the ballpark off Hwy. 305 that start at dark.
In between are ball games, horseshoe games, sack races and egg toss games.
Food is available from concession stands that are open all day. But families may also bring their own grills and cook or bring picnic lunches to the ballpark where the annual daylong celebration has been held since the early 1980s.
The celebration at Beebe City Hall starts at 6:30 p.m. with a performance by Elvis impersonator Tony Witt. Fireworks start at dusk.
Zion Hills Baptist Church invites the community to its 14th annual Church and Community Picnic at 6 p.m. Sunday.
There will be basketball, volleyball, horseshoe toss and many other outdoor activities if weather permits. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be served, along with popcorn, homemade desserts and ice pops. There will also be a designated activity area for children.
The church is located on Zion Hill Road near Hwy. 89 and Hwy. 107, approximately seven miles west of Cabot.
For more information, contact that church office at 501-988-4989. Bring your lawn chairs and sunscreen, and invite friends.
