Independence Day, 250th celebration this weekend
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Preparation by volunteers, whether putting together floats, planning schedules, booking music acts, or gathering items and documents for a new time capsule, pays off beginning Friday evening, July 3. Sequatchie County and Dunlap’s celebration of Independence Day and the nation’s 250th birthday will be marked by a number of different events.
The three-day weekend Friday, begins July 3 with the Freedom Street Dance at the corner of Cherry and Walnut streets in Dunlap. Free music starts at 5:00 p.m. with Camden Smith, followed by Neon Moon: The Ultimate 90s Country Band.
The dance is a fundraiser for The Josh Kell Memorial Foundation, a local non-profit providing scholarships to local students and funds for the Melanoma Research Foundation. It was founded in memory of Josh Kell, a Marine and local graduate. Donations are accepted for the foundation. There will be food and drinks available for purchase.
A large parade will be held the following morning, starting at 9:00 a.m. The parade’s theme is “Happy Birthday America,” and will run along Rankin Avenue and east onto Cherry Street. Parade participants are asked to enter the Sequatchie County Fair building through Dell Trail prior to the parade start.
Floats, band members, classic vehicles, fire trucks, ball teams, candidates, and horses fill the parade route while hundreds of kids eagerly await the candy thrown. Parents are encouraged to keep watch of children. Dunlap Police Chief Randy Phillips stated helmets are a requirement for ATV and motorcycle riders of all ages.
At 10:30 a.m. at the Sequatchie County Courthouse, an official Sequatchie County time capsule is to be locked for 50 years until its 2076 reopening. A time capsule from 1976 will be opened, giving a glimpse of the past.
The 12th annual City of Dunlap Music Festival begins at Harris Park as the parade winds down. Scheduled for the festival are The Werewolves of Landon, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Legacy, 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.; Bill Hatfield and The Wild Wind Band, 4:00 to 4:45; Hannah Danley, 5:15 to 5:45; Cody McCarver, 6:00 to 7:00; and headliner John Waite, 7:30 to 9:00.
As a solo artist and leading the groups The Babys and Bad English, Waite’s recordings include “Isn’t It Time,” “Every Time I Think of You,” “Price of Love,” and “Change.” Two songs, “Missing You” and “When I See You Smile,” made it to #1 on the Billboard pop charts.
There is no admission for the festival. VIP seating is $20. For more information, call Dunlap City Hall at 423-949-2115.
Starting at 2:00 p.m. on July 4, Dunlap Restaurant hosts the second annual Logan Cartwright Burnout Competition. Participants have a $20 entry with all proceeds going to the Sequatchie County High School auto mechanics class. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be available at the event. There is no charge for admission and donations are accepted.
Later on Independence Day, local Veterans will be ringing a bell as part of the National Bell Festival taking place across America. At 1:50 p.m. at Harris Park, the bell will ring 13 tolls for the original 13 colonies.
July 4 closes with the popular fireworks show at approximately 9:00 p.m., but activities renew July 8. A reading of the Declaration of Independence is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. at the Sequatchie County Courthouse.
