Celebration with a bang: Independence Day events upcoming in June

Celebration with a bang: Independence Day events upcoming in June News Staff Fri, 06/14/2024 - 10:09 am

• (ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) A firework explodes in the sky at the Fourth at the Fields fireworks show held in 2023. A fireworks show is being scheduled for visitors on the downtown square as part of the Celebrate Freedom event Saturday, June 29.
• (ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) A float in the Independence Day parade held in 2023 on the Graham downtown square. This year, the Celebrate Freedom event will combine multiple events downtown, including the parade.

TC Gordon editor@grahamleader.com

As the anniversary of the America’s independence nears, the city of Graham is set to host a celebration in honor of the big day.

The Graham Chamber of Commerce has announced a Celebrate Freedom day of events Saturday, June 29. The all-day celebration will begin with a pancake breakfast from and end with the Summer Concert Series and fireworks show.

“We wanted it to be an all day kind of celebration, so everybody who typically does something on Fourth of July came together and we just decided to move it into the Saturday before,” Graham Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cayley Strickland said. “(It’s) just so we're not competing with things out on the lake, businesses are still open on that day. Most close for the July Fourth holiday, so this way shops and restaurants and everybody's still open, so that people can enjoy downtown and everything that Graham has.”

The day begins at 7 a.m. with the pancake breakfast put on by the Kiwanis Club at First Baptist Church located at 620 4th St. Breakfast costs $10 per person and continues until 11 a.m.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. attendees are encouraged to spend time around Graham visiting the local restaurants, retailers and boutiques.

“The pancake festival and the parade were always on July 4 in the morning, but then after the parade was over, there wasn't much other than the fireworks down at the soccer fields, and that was in the evening,” Strickland said. “So there was kind of a big gap in between the morning celebrations and the evening celebrations.”

From 5:30-6 p.m. two local churches will have choirs performing live patriotic music at the Young County Courthouse gazebo on the square. Immediately following the music, the American Volunteer Reserve will put on the annual Veterans’ Honors program.

At 7:30 p.m. the Celebrate Freedom parade will proceed around the exterior perimeter of the downtown square. Those interested in participating in the parade can find a link to the parade application on the chamber Facebook page or can email Strickland directly at cayley@grahamtexas.org.

The day of celebration wraps up with the Summer Concert Series performance featuring Sean McConnell and the fireworks show will come immediately after.

This year, the goal for the chamber is to have the fireworks set up a few blocks behind the concert stage.

“We really just want to keep people here to celebrate as much as we can,” Strickland said. “I know a lot of families go off for Fourth of July, but trying to keep them in Graham is the main goal with this day and moving it to the 29th. So we just hope everybody has a good time celebrating together.”

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