Plan now for the Boone County 4th of July festivities

Jun. 14—It's that time of year when Boone County residents are prepping for the annual week-long 4th of July festivities.

This year's theme is "R.O.C.K. in the USA" after the song by Hoosier John Mellencamp.

Michael Reynolds served as chair for the committee this year and Makada Love served as the public relations director for the committee.

With many different events, the group split up planning into subcommittees.

The events subcommittee consisted of Manda Fogle, Amber Rust and Kevin Van Horn.

The Anything Goes subcommittee members were Michelle Whitaker, Ashley McClure and Karen Turner.

The parade subcommittee members are Kristen Linton, Erin Rabanus and Lisa Robinson.

"We look forward to seeing our community get involved and come together with the many different scheduled events leading up to the parade and fireworks on the 4th of July," Reynolds said. "Our 4th of July Committee began working this past winter to plan what looks to be a busy, yet exciting week."

Although the carnival is not here this year, the Boone County Fourth of July committee has a week full of fun activities.

New this year is a talent showcase and organizers say more entries are needed. Boone County has talent, and festival organizers want to see it.

Registration forms for the Almost Anything Goes competition, parade entry, corn hole tournament, golf cart decorating contest and the talent showcase are available at facebook.com/boonecounty4th. Emails for those forms are also on the Facebook page.

This year's festivities include:

June 24

Starting the Friday before and kicking off the festivities is, for the first time ever, a pickleball tournament at Lebanon Memorial Park starting at 5 p.m.

June 28

The Tri Kappa ice cream social starts at 5 p.m. followed by the pre-teen anything goes competition. The teen and adult almost anything goes competition are the following two days, June 29-30 at 6 p.m. both nights.

Boone County Fourth of July committee member Michael Reynolds described the Almost Anything Goes competitions as a fun event where contestants play silly games while competing against one another.

June 29

Teen Almost Anything Goes competition at 6 p.m.

June 30

Almost Adult Anything Goes competition at 6 p.m.

July 1

The Community Band will present a concert on the Memorial Park Bandstand at 7 p.m., setting the community up for the Fourth of July weekend.

July 2

"This is our big day," Reynolds said.

Saturday kicks off the weekend celebrations for Boone County. The pedal parade with the Black Box Bozos starts at 11 a.m. at the Seashore Waterpark parking lot, 130 E. Ulen Dr., Lebanon. A variety of food trucks will start serving lunch at 11 a.m.

Pedal parade registration can be done online at sylviascac.org.

A kids' mini-carnival will also be at Memorial Park at 11 a.m.

Mark Lehmann, a local magician, will be mystifying audiences at the bandstand at noon.

Evening activities start with a golf cart decorating contest and talent show at 5 p.m., followed by a corn hole tournament and a Luna Worldcast concert at 6 p.m. These events are all at the park bandstand.

John Stevens ends the Saturday night celebrations with a concert starting at 7 p.m., also at the bandstand.

July 3

Starting at 3 p.m. and running until 5 p.m., for the first time is a kids' foam party. Reynolds said the committee was looking for other fun events for children to participate in since the carnival is not here this year.

At 6 p.m., a praise and worship service will be held at the bandstand. Reynolds said different members from churches around Lebanon are coming together for one big night of worship at the park.

Then at 7 p.m., all of the houses along the parade route will be judged as a part of the house decorating contest. Reynolds said every house along the parade route is automatically entered. Those residents have already received information.

The winner of the house decorating contest will receive a yard sign to display on parade day.

July 4

The big day.

Starting at 1 p.m., the parade will start at the northern end Lebanon High School, 510 Tiger Way, and leave on N. Outer Drive, before turning onto E. Ulen Drive. It will then go all the way down E. Ulen Drive and turn on N. Meridian Street. It will then go down to the Boone County Courthouse Square and turn on E. Washington Street and turn again on N. East Street before making its last turn back to the high school on Tiger Way.

The week will wrap up with a 22-minute fireworks show at Memorial Park starting at 10 p.m.