Wednesday, July 03, 2013

TOP STORY >> Area to mark Fourth of July with Big Bang

By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer

Cabot’s Fourth of July celebration starts at 6 p.m. Thursday at Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 163 Mount Carmel Road.

There will be patriotic music. Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be for sale.

A bounce house, slides and an obstacle course will be set up for children.

Fireworks begin at 9 p.m.

Ward’s annual Fourth of July celebration starts at 4:30 p.m. when the vendors open for business and the car and motorcycle show begins.

The opening ceremony at 5 p.m. will feature the Little Rock Air Force base honor guard almost immediately followed by a lawn mower and lawn tractor driving competition.

The River Rats, a bluegrass band from Mountain View, will perform until 8:30 p.m. following the opening ceremony.

Vendors will have funnel cakes and fresh-squeezed lemonade for sale but the city will give away hamburgers and bottled water.

Dancers from Carla’s Dance of Ward will perform at 6:30 p.m. and the fireworks show will start at 9:15 or dark.

South Bend Fire Rescue will have a fireworks show at 4144 Hwy. 294, Military Road, on Thursday beginning with a 6:30 p.m. supper.

Sonny’s Auto Salvage is sponsoring the event.

Jimmie White Park, 115 Cheyenne in north Jacksonville off T.P. White Drive is July’s Park of the Month.

A family fun day is planned there from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, July 13. Admission is free. All ages are welcome.

There will be free food and lots of fun, according to Marlo Jackson, information and marketing manager for Jacksonville Parks and Recreation. She said there will be something for everyone.

Beebe will host its Fourth of July celebration beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Beebe City Park baseball fields with a fireworks show at dusk. 

The evening will feature two musical performances by Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers and Wine and Roses.

There will be free hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, water and slush puppies served.

Face painting and temporary tattoos will also be offered.

The swimming pool will be open at no charge and lifeguards will be on duty.

The Army’s Adventure Simulators will visit the Jacksonville Museum of Military History at 100 Veterans Circle from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

The group will offer free simulators for driving M1A1 Abrams tank, flying an Apache helicopter, a timed shooting event with a marksmanship trainer and a bomb squad exercise using an electronic ordnance disposal robotic arm.

There is no charge for admission to the museum that day.

The Army’s Adventure Simulators will also bring their 70-by-25-foot semi truck to Sherwood’s 14th annual Fourth of July Celebration from 6-9 p.m. Thursday at Sherwood Forest, 1111 W. Maryland Ave.

There will be a kid zone with a bounce house and fireworks start at 9 p.m.

The city will provide free hot dogs, water, chips and giveaways while supplies last.

The Sherwood Sharks swim team will be selling additional items.

The entertainment is Patriotic Pamy, Paul Morphis, Fragile Elite and Top of the Rock Chorus. Top of the Rock will be inside the building while the other musical acts will be outside on a second stage.

Shuttles will be available from Sylvan Hills High School.

The new Crossroads Cow-boy Church and Two Bar Two Arena at 3071 Hwy. 5 in El Paso will be dedicated during a Fourth of July celebration with fireworks at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Participants are invited to enjoy food, fellowship and performances by the Crossroads Cowboy Church Band and other musical groups.