Here's how you can celebrate Independence Day in St. Joseph County
Two St. Joseph County communities with long-standing Fourth of July traditions will once again have plenty to offer next week.
Constantine and Colon will feature holiday staples – parades and fireworks – along with a full day of events in between.
Constantine
Village Manager Mark Honeysett said Constantine will start Independence Day with the popular Firecracker 4K Fun Run/Walk. Sponsored by the Constantine Community Fitness Center, the event starts at 8:30 a.m. at Constantine High School’s Sweetland Stadium. The 2.5-mile route is held on Falcon Drive and around school property. It is stroller friendly.
The untimed event is free but a $5 donation is suggested, as all proceeds will help support the cost of fireworks.
More information about the Firecracker 4K can be found online at www.homeofthefalcons.org.
Meanwhile, Honeysett said the parade lineup is at 10:30 a.m. and the parade itself starts at 11 a.m. He said the procession typically draws more than 30 entrants and from start to finish, it takes about a half hour.
“Something sort of new that we started a few years ago is the Constantine Fire Department’s Fourth of July Open House,” Honeysett said. “That’s being offered again this year and it’s kind of special because we have a new rescue-pumper. I know the chief and the firefighters are really excited about that. Eager to show it off.”
The fire station open house starts at the conclusion of the parade and ends at 2 p.m. There will be free hot dogs, free ice cream and free CPR training.
Constantine’s “Movies in the Park” summer series kicks off Tuesday. “Super Mario Bros.” starts at 7 p.m. at Constantine Little League Field. The fireworks display will start after the movie ends.
Guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.
Honeysett said Constantine’s Fourth of July celebration dates at least to the 1960s.
“I know at one point there were many more activities – pie-eating contest, a softball game, other picnic-type of events – but there’s always a need for volunteers and a lot of the events just were not continued as a result,” Honeysett said. “People still come out, regardless. It’s a great, small-town tradition and it’s really important to Constantine.”
Colon
Crowds of out-of-state visitors who vacation at Palmer, Long and Sturgeon lakes help make up the thousands of people who line State Street and South Blackstone Avenue for an Americana experience.
The village’s Independence Day parade start at 11 a.m. and activities on North Blackstone Avenue follow its conclusion.
This year, a country concert featuring Dewayne Spaw will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on North Blackstone Avenue. The village’s fireworks display begins at dusk.
Prior to July 4, the annual Ring of Fire event will be Monday around Palmer and Long lakes.
Meanwhile, the annual Palmer Lake Flotilla takes place Saturday, with shoreline displays in place by 5 p.m. Lake residents are encouraged to take a ride around the lake to see all the displays before returning home to watch the boat parade at 6 p.m.
“It is an absolutely huge weekend in Colon,” said Keith Stickley, president of Colon Area Chamber of Commerce. “Literally something for everyone.”
To participate in the Flotilla or for more information, the contact number is (262) 358-3600.
Also Saturday in Colon, Abbott’s Magic is hosting “The Amazing Magic of Joe Bennett.” The showroom act starts at 1 p.m. Cost is $5 per person.
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This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Here's how you can celebrate Independence Day in St. Joseph County
