Erin McNeill, 21, Mount Vernon

Freedom Festival Tour Guide (aka Hoopla intern)

Water Ski Show
What could be more fun on a hot summer evening than watching daredevil acrobatics performed on the water? The Five Seasons Ski Team will be performing three special shows in addition to their weekly Thursday shows during the Freedom Festival. As a recreational skier myself, I’m really looking forward to checking out the feats to be performed by these aquatic athletes. This nationally competitive team has been featured on ESPN and OLN, and touted acts include a ballet line, four-person high pyramids, barefooting and skiing 360-degrees around the boat. 

Wild West Weekend
I can’t wait to unleash my inner cowgirl and visit a scene straight out of a John Wayne film as the Wild West Weekend returns to Ushers Ferry Historic Village in Cedar Rapids this year after being flooded out last year. The Willi Territorial Rough Riders, a group comprised of Cowboy Action Shooters, Civil War re-enactors and Old West enthusiasts, will keep visitors on their toes with gunfights, robberies and the retelling of great tales from the Old West and Iowa history. A great way to celebrate Father’s Day, the Wild West Weekend will provide entertainment for all ages. 

Balloon Glow
If you think hot air balloons look cool floating through a sunny blue sky, just wait until you see them lit up and hovering just over the ground after dark. One of my favorite childhood memories was attending the Balloon Glow for the 1996 U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship when it was held near my hometown in the Missouri heartland, and I’m so excited to get to experience an event like this again. The U.S. Marine Corp Band will provide a musical backdrop for viewing the explosion of color offered by the balloons. The Freedom Fest Balloon Glow will be held on the lawn of historic Brucemore.

Freedom Festival Parade
For me, parades are the quintessential patriotic celebration because they bring together the community and show off some of its best attributes – its people. This year’s Freedom Festival parade theme is “We are One under the Red, White & Blue,” focusing on working and celebrating together as the city and region are rebuilt. There are nearly 100 entries for the parade which will be emceed by KHAK’s Brian and Steele. As a horse enthusiast, the equestrian entries are always my favorites, but a lively marching band can always make me smile.

Celebration of Freedom Fireworks
It just isn’t the Fourth of July without fireworks. Though I’m still adjusting to the idea that I can’t shoot off bottle rockets in my backyard (wish I’d known fireworks were illegal in Iowa before I moved here), I am definitely looking forward to watching the big boomers explode across the sky. This year’s Freedom Fireworks will be held on the Kirkwood Community College Campus, as the area surrounding the downtown Cedar Rapids venue is still unsafe for pedestrian traffic. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and patriotic spirit to watch the sparks fly.