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Freedom Festival planning birthday bash

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Fireworks light up the Tree of Five Seasons at the finale of the Freedom Festival on Wednesday, July 4, 2012, in Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)

CEDAR RAPIDS — Some things old, some things new, some things borrowed and lots of red, white and blue. That’s what’s in store for the 30th anniversary of the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival.

The celebration gets under way June 21 to 23 with the return of the Dock Dogs canine aquatic contest, moving to Kirkwood Community College, and the new Sand in the City sand sculpture contest at NewBo City Market.

“We’re excited to bring Sand in the City to Cedar Rapids,” says Brandon Busbee, the Freedom Festival’s marketing and operations director. “It’s been in the Corridor, but this is our first time bringing it to Cedar Rapids and making it part of our festival.”

The Dock Dogs competition premiered last year and generated so much excitement that the governing group proclaimed Cedar Rapids the site for this year’s Midwest Regional Championships.

“The community really liked it and really embraced it,” Busbee says. “We just had to bring that back.”

Next to waving flags and fireworks, nothing says Fourth of July like patriotic music.

“We’re incorporating not only one military band, but we were lucky to get a second one, as well,” Busbee says. “The U.S. Navy Band will march in the parade, play a rock concert in the evening (June 29) and play in the Patriotic Pops Concert at the Paramount. Then the U.S. Air Force Band will be headlining the concert downtown before the fireworks. We’re excited to have two military bands, since we haven’t had one since 2010.”

NewBo Market will be the site for several events June 29, beginning with a flag retirement ceremony at 4 p.m., followed by the U.S. Navy Rock Band concert and the revamped Music Night, featuring Simpleton & Cityfolk from Chicago. All of the concerts will be free with a $3 Freedom Festival button.

The buttons, designed by local artist Dan Schuster of Design Trust, will go on sale May 24 at all local Hy-Vee Food & Drug Stores and Casey’s General Stores. Scattered among the buttons are gold ones that qualify the buyer for prizes, including a trip for two to Mexico.

Kicking the party into overdrive is a raffle where one lucky ticket holder will drive off with a 2013 KIA Soul. Tickets go on sale May 20 at the Freedom Festival office, 226 Second St. SE.

The two-week festival typically brings 350,000 to 400,000 people to town, generating between $10 million and $12 million in economic impact, Busbee says.

For more event information, go to FreedomFestival.com or call (319) 365-8313.

 

SCHEDULE:

— June 21 to 23: Jump for Freedom, Dock Dogs canine aquatic jumping contest, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Kirkwood Community College

— June 21 to 23: Sand in the City, sand sculpture contest, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., NewBo City Market

— June 25: Balloon Glow, 5:30 to 10 p.m., Brucemore

— June 27: Tribute to Heroes Dinner, 7 p.m., The Hotel at Kirkwood Center

— June 29: Imagination Square, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Greene Square Park; Freedom Festival Parade, 10 a.m., downtown Cedar Rapids

— June 29: At NewBo City Market: Flag retirement ceremony, 4 p.m.; U.S. Navy Rock Band concert, 5 p.m.; Music Night, 8 p.m., with Simpleton & Cityfolk from Chicago, free with button

— June 30: Patriotic Pops, 4 p.m., Paramount Theater, featuring 45-piece U.S. Navy Great Lakes Wind Ensemble, free with button

— July 2: Movie Night at the Ballpark, 7 p.m., Veterans Memorial Stadium, showing “Sandlot,” free with button

— July 4: Downtown Cedar Rapids: Pancake breakfast, 8 to 11 a.m.; KidZone and Ferris wheel, food and beverages, 4 p.m.; U.S. Air Force Rock Band concert, 7 p.m.; car raffle winner announced, 9:30 p.m.; 30th Anniversary Fireworks Show, 10 p.m.

Best Bets June 30 to July 6

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Coralville 4thFEST concert: Herman’s Hermits

Sunday, July 3

The British are coming! The British are coming — just in time to spark some Independence musical fireworks. The masses will be in for something good this time, when Herman’s Hermits headline the Coralville 4thFEST free concert Sunday night in S.T. Morrison Park. These British invaders, starring Peter Noone, brought such classics as “I’m Henry the VIII, I Am,” “Mrs. Brown, You’ve got a Lovely Daughter” and “There’s a Kind of a Hush” to our shores. The local Cedar Island Band will go to a more southerly shore to get everyone in a breezy Buffett mood before The Grass Roots rev it up with such hits as “Baby Hold On,” “Temptation Eyes,” “Two Divided by Love” and “Midnight Confessions.” Three bands for the price of none. Doesn’t get much more free than that.

Coralville 4thFEST concert: Herman’s Hermits
5:30 p.m. Sunday (7/3), S.T. Morrison Park, between Fifth and Eighth streets, Coralville; free; www.coralville.org/index.aspx?NID=421

Linn County Fair: Glen Templeton

Wednesday, July 6

Glen Templeton is a country boy for life, charging full-throttle into his singing career. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native will kick off the Linn County Fair Grandstand events with a free concert Wednesday night. A singer-songwriter, he’s been honing his art in Nashville and on the road as Conway Twitty in a touring musical. His powerful words, music and vocal styles hearken to his early days listening to Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and Twitty. Also rocking the grandstand are Saliva at 7 p.m. July 7 and John Anderson on July 8. Horses, hot rods, harness racing and tractor pulls round out the fun.

Linn County Fair: Glen Templeton
7:30 p.m. Wednesday (7/6), Linn County Fair Grandstand, Central City; free, but must have ticket from Farmers State Banks and other sites; www.thelinncountyfair.com/gs-ticket-info.html

Cedar Boat Club Fireworks

Sunday, July 3

The Cedar Boat Club will be making a splash with its annual fireworks display shot over the Cedar River. Prime viewing is along the riverbanks at Ellis Park, where visitors can set up their chairs, buy picnic fare from the food vendors, catch the Five Seasons Ski Team in action and revel in spectacular fireworks at dusk. To the south, fireworks will burst above Iowa City on Sunday night, as well, bringing the Jazz Festival to a colorful close. The ooh and aah factor continues Monday in downtown Cedar Rapids, Coralville and many other Eastern Iowa towns exploding with patriotism on parade.

Cedar Boat Club Fireworks
5 to 10 p.m. Sunday (7/3), Cedar River and riverbanks at Ellis Harbor, Cedar Rapids; free admission; food vendors at 5 p.m., Five Seasons Ski Team show at 7 p.m., fireworks at dusk

Check out more Freedom Festival events.

Summertime in Germany is heating up

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Literally.

It’s a cheesy thing to say, but it’s around 95 degrees with completely still air and no air conditioning in sight, so I’ll let it slide. When I came to Germany I was told that the seasons would be mild. Wrong-o! When I first arrived I couldn’t escape the snow, and now I can’t escape the heat.

Oh well, though. Life will go on. Now I realize how spoiled I am with central air conditioning at home and will definitely appreciate that luxury even more. One more month to go before I can lie in bed and freeze again at night. I can’t wait!

Besides sweating half to death and praying for rain (never thought I’d say that), everything here is going well. I have only two more weeks of regular classes followed by a week of finals at the University of Dortmund. It’s crazy how quickly the time is going by, but at the same time I’m starting to embrace that fact a bit.

One could say that I’m having a case of ‘late term’ homesickness. With the fourth of July this weekend (Happy 4th to all my readers!), I’ve been thinking a lot about my friends and family and how much I wish I could be there to BBQ and watch the fireworks. It seems like such a minuscule and unimportant thing each year when it comes to this time of year, but since this is first year I won’t be a part of that tradition, it feels a little strange.

I’m trying not to focus on it too much, though. Tomorrow will still be a good time that I’m sure to remember: all of the American exchange students are getting together to throw a big BBQ bash in the park. We’re going to do our best to make it as ‘American’ as possible, grilling out hamburgers, hot dogs, eating  a copious amount of potato chips and making s’mores if we can find the ingredients.

Wish us luck with that one, cooking in Europe has proved to be a challenge. Mostly you actually have to cook, and I’m not exactly a chef. I’m the only person I know that can mess up scrambled eggs.

There are not so many things that are pre-prepared here, so one has to be prepared to pull out a cookbook and experiment with what ingredients are available. Much to my dismay, Betty Crocker is a big no-no here. Tomorrow I’m going to half-cheat, making the confetti cupcake mix my boyfriend brought over, but still making frosting from scratch. Thus far  in my previous attempts I’ve failed miserably, but I’m determined to succeed this time.

BBQ aside, I’ve been trying really hard to keep myself busy and out of the house  so I can’t sit around and pout. Yesterday I traveled to Bonn, Germany for the day to see Beethoven’s birth house and the old architecture.

On Monday I’m considering traveling to another city in the region to take some pictures and explore and next weekend I am flying to Gdansk, Poland to spend a few days. Towards the end of the month I will be off to my final two destinations: Prague, Czech Republic and Edinburgh, Scotland. Be sure to check back for updates!

UPDATE: Frosting was a complete fail! It turned into a huge block of butter and sugar in the refrigerator overnight. Boo!

July 4th in the Corridor, Iowa City Jazz Festival

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Fourth of July festivities and fun in the Corridor

From races and live music to festivals and fireworks, the Corridor was the place to be this July 4th.

Iowa City Jazz Festival

 

The Diplomasts of Solid Sound, Orquesta Alto Maiz, Lionel Loueke Trio and more took the stage last weekend for the Iowa City Jazz Festival, a popular Fourth of July event in the Corridor for almost 20 years.

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Fourth of July festivities

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From Aurora to Williamsburg and Belle Plaine to West Union, this Fourth of July is sure to be poppin’. There’s fireworks every where you turn. Plus plenty of good old fashioned Fourth of July fun in the form of parades, food-eating contests, races and more. Not to mention a few tractor pulls, water ski shows, street dances and plenty of fun and games. So whether you stay home, head back to your childhood home or venture off to someone else’s hometown, there’s plenty of fun to be had.

Find your Fourth here. All events are July 4 unless otherwise noted.

Aurora - “There’s No Place Like Home” Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration: Opening ceremony and tractor pull, 11 a.m.; parade, 1 p.m.; fireworks, dusk. (319) 476-5690
Belle Plaine - Traditional July 4 activities (plus games, food and rides), Williams Park; parade, 10 a.m.; fireworks, dusk. (319) 444-2200
Bellevue - Parade, 10 a.m.; Traditional July 4 activities, afternoon, Cole Park; Water Ski Show, 6 p.m., Mississippi River; live music and fireworks, dusk, municipal parking lot. www.bellevueia.com
Cedar Falls - 5K for Independence Day walk/run, 8:30 a.m., George Wyth State Park; Jaycees Star Spangled Sky Fireworks Festival, 5-10:30 p.m., UNI Dome. (319) 273-8600
Cedar Rapids - Freedom Festival: Alliant Energy Walk/Run (8K and 5K), 7:30 a.m., May’s Island; Patriot’s Bazaar and Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m., Second Avenue Bridge; Grand Ol’ Pancake Breakfast, 8 a.m., Second Avenue Bridge & First Street W; KCRG-TV9 Show You Care Kids’ Parade, 10 a.m. Third Avenue Bridge; Hawkeye Pedal Pull, 10 a.m., Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum/City Hall; City Pools Fourth of July Swim, 1 p.m., Bever and Jones pools and Cherry Hill and Noelridge Aquatic Centers; Music-for-the-Community and Action Zone, 3 p.m., Kirkwood Community College; Water Ski Show 2009, 7 p.m., Cedar River at Ellis Park; Fanfare to the Fireworks with Cedar Rapids Municipal Band, 8 p.m., Kirkwood Community College; Celebration of Freedom Fireworks, 9:45 p.m., Kirkwood Community College. www.freedomfestival.com
Central City - 7-11 a.m. Belgian Waffle Breakfast, Falcon Civic Center; Parade, 10 a.m.; Street dance and hog roast, all day; fireworks, dusk. (319) 438-1713
Coralville - 4th FEST: Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, 7-10:30 a.m., Northwest Junior High; Rockin’ the Paradise Parade, 10 a.m.; Carnival, noon, Coralville Community Aquatic Center Parking Lot; American Legion Bingo, noon-9 p.m., S.T. Morrison Park; Panchero’s Burrito Eating Contest, 4 p.m., Showcase Stage; Community Band Concert, 8 p.m., Showcase Stage; fireworks, dusk. www.coralville.org
Dubuque - Fireworks Spectacular, July 3, dusk, over Mississippi River at Lock and Dam No. 11. www.dubuquechamber.com
Dyersville - July 3: Rides and Games, 5 p.m.; Music and Celebrity Dunk Tank, 6-10 p.m.; Square Dancing Lawnmowers, 7:30 p.m.; fireworks, dusk. (563) 875-2311
Dysart - Firecracker 5K run, 8 a.m.; Grand Parade, 10:30 a.m.; Traditional July 4 activities (plus cakewalk, kiddie tractor pull and talent show), noon-9 p.m.; fireworks, dusk. (319) 476-5690
Earlville - Traditional July 4 activities, Ball Diamond; fireworks, dusk. (563) 923-3365
Ely - Fireman’s Breakfast 7 a.m.-12:30, Ely Fire Department; Parade, 6 p.m., starts at Fire Department. (319) 848-4103
Hills - Co-ed volleyball tournament, 9 a.m., Hills Ball Park; Horseshoe tournament, 1 p.m.; “Fun in the Sun” Parade, 5 p.m.; fireworks, dusk. (319) 679-3197
Independence - 149th Fourth of July Parade, 9 a.m., First Street E and Second Avenue NE; Traditional July 4 activities (plus volleyball tournament, duck race and Guitar Hero tournament), 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Riverwalk Parks; Fireworks, 10 p.m., Riverwalk Parks. www.celebrateindee.com
Iowa City - Fireworks, Hubbard Park, dusk. (319) 356-5000
Maquoketa – Stock Car Races and Fireworks, 6 p.m., Jackson County Fairgrounds. (563) 652-4602
Marengo - Sesquicentennial Celebration, July 3: Parade, 6:30 p.m.; fireworks, dusk; July 4: Kiwanis Breakfast, 7-10 a.m.; Car Show, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; Children’s Parade, 10 a.m.; Marengo Olympics, 10 a.m.; Ioway Indian Presentation, 10 a.m.; Horseshoe Tournament, 10 a.m.; Pioneer Heritage Museum, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Tiny Circus, noon-9 p.m.; inflatables and games, noon-9 p.m.; beer garden, noon-2 a.m.; Castle Ridge Band, 1-2 p.m.; Dixieland Band, 2 p.m.; Brian Troester Band, 3-4:30 p.m.; Library Tours, 4-6 p.m.; IV School Foundation Open House, 4-6 p.m.; Womanless Wedding, 4:30 p.m.; All School Reunion Dinner, 4:30-8 p.m.; Twins/Multiples Event and Cutest Baby Contest, 5-6 p.m.; Atomic Hoss Band, 6-7:30 p.m.; Cemetery Tour, 7-8:30 p.m.; Alumni Band and Choir, 7:30-8:30 p.m.; Quilt Raffle, 7:30 p.m.; Twist and Shout, 8:30-10 p.m.; All School Reunion Dance, 9 p.m.-midnight; KC All Stars Band, 10:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Street Dance. www.marengo150.com
Marquette - American Legion Pancake Breakfast, July 3-5, 7-10 a.m., Marquette City Park; Flea Market, July 3-5, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., under the bridge; Independence Day Parade, July 4, 11 a.m., downtown; fireworks, July 4, dusk, riverfront. www.mcgreg-marq.org
Marshalltown - Traditional July 4 activities, 3 p.m., Central Iowa Fairgrounds; fireworks, dusk, Central Iowa Fairgrounds. (641) 753-6645
McGregor - Cannon shoot and ceremony, 10 a.m., Riverfront Park; Traditional July 4 activities (plus live music and bean bag tournament), 11 a.m.-4 p.m., riverfront. www.mcgreg-marq.org
Monticello - Firemen’s Breakfast, 6:30-10:30 a.m.; “Proud to Be an America” Parade, 11 a.m., traditional July 4 activities, noon-8 p.m., Monticello Eagles Club; Fireworks, dusk, fairgrounds. (319) 465-6435
Monona - Back Home Fourth of July Celebration (plus music by Juiceman Sound and the Back Home Boys), 5 p.m., Birdnow Chevrolet; fireworks, dusk. www.mononaiowa.com
Mount Vernon - Heritage Days, July 9-11; Fireworks, July 9 @ dusk, Hillcrest Country Club. (319) 895-8742
Oelwein - Parade, 10:30 a.m., downtown; Celebration Oelwein (plus entertainment, food, games, boating and Miss Oelwein contest), afternoon, City Park; fireworks, dusk. www.oelwein.com/attraction.php
Solon - Fireworks, dusk, Lake Macbride beach area. (319) 624-2200
Tipton – Traditional July 4 activities (plus bouncy rides, food games and a petting zoo), all day, City Park; “Movies on Parade”, 2 p.m., Meridian Street and North Avenue; Free Swim, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Aquatic Center; fireworks, dusk. www.tiptoniowa.org
Toledo - Fireworks, dusk, Toledo Heights Park. (641) 484-2160
Waterloo – Jaycees Fireworks Festival, 6 p.m.-midnight, West Fourth Street and Commercial Street. (319) 291-4301
Wayland - Lions Club Breakfast, 6:30-9:30 a.m., Wayland Community Center; 5K walk/run, 7 a.m.; Parade, 10:30 a.m., Main Street; Firefighter Water Fights, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Main Street; Tractor Show, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., North Street; Family Fun Games and Food, 12:30-4 p.m.; Main Street Museum Porch Tour, 1-2 p.m., Main Street Museum; Parkview Benefit Supper, 4:30-7 p.m., Parkview home; fireworks, dusk, football field. www.waylandiowa.com
Wellman - Traditional July 4 activities (parade and entertainment), North Park; Fireworks, dusk. www.cityofwellman.com
West Branch - “An Old Fashioned Independence Day” celebration, music by the Marengo Civil War Band and dramatic performance by Lance Mack as President Abraham Lincoln, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., The Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum. http://hoover.archives.gov
West Union - Fireworks, dusk, West Union Recreation Center. (563) 422-3070
Williamsburg - Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, 7 a.m., Fire Department; Williamsburg Recreational Department Fun Run and Tot Trot, 9 a.m.; Children and Adult Relay Races and Park Vendors, 1-3 p.m., east side of the square; Parade, 4 p.m.; Fireworks, dusk. (319) 668-1133