July 03, 2009 10:00 am
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By Garrett Stack
The Herald Bulletin
ANDERSON — The night sky over Madison County will light up this weekend as towns celebrate Independence Day.
There are multiple firework shows, parades, and concerts that promise fun for everyone in the family.
No matter where you live, there is probably a show within a few miles of home, and almost all of the events are free of charge so you can have fun this weekend without breaking the bank.
Below is a list of events occurring over the weekend:
Friday
u The Anderson midnight patriotic parade will start at 8th and Jackson streets at midnight Friday. The annual parade is the earliest Independence Day celebration in America. There will be a midnight parade pre-party at the Anderson Town Center from 9 to 11 p.m. There will be live entertainment and great music as everyone gets ready for the parade.
u Alexandria will host a Friday night fireworks show that is scheduled to go off at dusk. The Alexandria Community Band will be performing before the fireworks show at 8 p.m. in the Alexandria Intermediate School parking lot.
u Yorktown and the Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the annual Fireworks Festival at Morrows Meadow Park. The hours are 4-11 p.m. for both days and each day will feature two musical performances beginning at 5 and 8 p.m. There will be games and food for the whole family, a rock climbing wall and inflatable rides for the kids, and a beer tent for the adults. The Chamber Duck Race in Buck Creek will start at 8 p.m. and prizes will be awarded to the winners. The fireworks will go off at dark on Saturday.
Saturday
u Hoosier Park will host a concert followed by fireworks on the 4th. John Anderson, the country music star, will perform at 8:30 p.m., and Casey Jamerson, a Pendleton native and rising country music star, will open for Anderson at 7 p.m. The fireworks will follow the concert and will begin at 10 p.m.
u Anderson Speedway will host the self-proclaimed “Anderson’s best fireworks show” at the race track on the fourth. There will be racing of all varieties, including figure-8 racing, starting at 7 p.m. The fireworks are set to go off after the races are over, most likely around 9:30 or 10 p.m. The Anderson Lions Family Festival will continue through the night of the fourth in the parking lot of the speedway. It features rides, games and food.
u The Town of Chesterfield is sponsoring a parade in honor of the holiday. The Chesterfield Independence Day Parade will start at noon on the fourth beginning at the Anderson Airport. Trophies will be given to the winners of each major category in an award ceremony after the parade. There will also be a fireworks show at dusk on July 3 at the International Union Operating Engineers building on State Road 37.
u The Chesterfield Optimist Club will host a 5K and a 10K run on the 4th as well as a pancake breakfast. The run starts at 8:30 a.m., with sign-ups from 7 to 8:15 a.m. and the pancake breakfast goes from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Regardless of whether you run or not, the pancakes are “all you care to eat” for $5. The breakfast will be at the Millcreek Civic Center, which is also where the run will begin.
u Elwood will host its annual “family, bike and pet parade” at 11 a.m. in the park on Saturday. To participate, contestants must walk, ride a bike, pull a wagon, or have a pet on a leash and all participants must wear red, white and blue. Check in starts at 10 a.m. and prizes will be given to the winners. Elwood will then put on its annual fireworks show on Saturday at about 10 p.m. The fireworks are set to take place at Elwood Community High School.
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