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grolfe
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Posted: Wed Jun 24th, 2009 02:49 pm |
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By Glenn Rolfe
Leader & State Register
LAUREL – Laurel is gearing up to explode in patriotic celebration.
The town’s 15th annual Independence Day celebration will be held Saturday, July 4 – a day-long extravaganza that begins with a morning prayer breakfast and concludes with a huge fireworks show.
Central Avenue, Laureltowne and the Janosik Park areas of town will serve as the main staging venues for the local entertainment and talent, various contests, car show, vendors and other attractions in the event, sponsored by the Laurel Chamber of Commerce.
This year, the celebration reverts back to a one-day event, following two years where the Red, White and Blue parade was held separately the evening night before celebration.
“Having the parade at night was nice – it was cooler – but it really hurt the event the next day,” said Laurel Chamber of Commerce president Don Dykes. “You have that crowd watching the parade and then they migrate. (Not having that) it just hurt our vendors.”
Mr. Dykes says the chamber is expecting a very good turnout.
“We are thinking that with the economy, a lot of people are not going far this year. People are tightening up, so with that, we feel we are looking for a good event,” he said.
The event begins at 7:30 a.m. with a prayer breakfast and Gospel Café entertainment from Bruce and Nancy Willey at the Georgia House restaurant. The theme this year is “One Nation Under God.”
At 8 a.m. the 5K run takes center-stage with a course in town.
“We want people to see our town,” Mr. Dykes said.
The parade, which steps off at 10 a.m., is a huge project annually undertaken by the Laurel Fire Department in conjunction with the chamber.
Plans are in the works for a talent show, ongoing entertainment featuring local performers and artists along with various contests, including hot dog eating, pie eating and cake baking.
The car show will be based in the Georgia House parking lot.
As a fundraiser, the Boys & Girls Club will be manning a dunking booth.
The carnival will actually run four days – Wednesday through Saturday.
Fireworks will begin after dusk after Gospel Café sets the stage with a performance from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“It is a great fireworks show. We shoot around 1,000 shells,” Mr. Dykes said. “There is no dead time. It’s a full 20 minute show.”
The chamber welcomes donations to help pay for the cost of the fireworks show as well as volunteers to help during the celebration.
“We can use funds and we can use (volunteer) help,” said Mr. Dykes.
News Editor Glenn Rolfe can be reached at 629-5505 or grolfe@newszap.com.
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