There is no shortage of things to do and see during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday.
Emporia and the surrounding areas have put together a wide mixture of events to please just about any taste.
Lebo
Crafters and flea market vendors are invited to participate in the Lebo Independence Day celebration from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday June 30. Booths are available inside and outside in downtown Lebo. Vendors may call (620) 256-6168 during evening hours for information or to request a registration form.
Other activities planned for Saturday include the annual transportation show, Hot Wheels contest, fun run, pancake feed and farmer’s market.
The activities will continue at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 1 with the annual Bob Ellis Memorial Antique Tractor Pull. There will be a free swim at the city pool and an old fashioned chicken dinner at the Baptist Church.
On July 4, go to Lebo and plan to spend the whole day. The theme for the 18th annual celebration is Celebrate the Decades. The parade will be at 11 a.m. July 4. Pick any decade and enter a float in the parade. Cash prizes will be given to the best theme floats in the parade as well as other entries.
There also will be a chocolate chip cookie contest, which will be before the parade. The Red Hat Society will sponsor the ugly pickup contest. Other activities downtown on Wednesday include a 4th Of July Breakfast; cake walk; face painting; baby contest; dog contest; choralaires; hamburger/hot dog feed; ice cream social and Bingo and bake sale.
Wednesday’s activities also will take place at the North Park in Lebo. These include the Lebo First Responders; hay rack rides to the petting zoon; kids games; hole in one; treasure hunt; and barbecue.
Wednesday evening, activities will take place at the West Park and include kids’ line dancing; flag retirement ceremony; awards; entertainment and fireworks at dark.
Gridley
The town of Gridley is packed with activities on July 4. This year’s theme is “Celebration! 110 Years of Education.” Gridley graduates began their senior year in the community 110 years ago.
For the youth, there will be a fishing derby from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Gridley Lake. There is a $1 fee and prizes and trophies will be awarded. There will be a children’s game at 9:30 a.m., a children’s carnival at 10:30 a.m. and a children’s money hunt at 3:30 p.m. There is no fee for the children’s activities.
Fun for all ages starts at 7:30 a.m. with the mile run. A bow shoot will be at 7:30 a.m. with a $6 fee to enter. At 8 a.m. “2 on 2” basketball will start. There is a $5 fee for each player. At 9 a.m., there will be a horseshoe pitch ($1 fee). A water competition will be at 1:30 p.m. behind the COOP ($5 per team). Sandbag baseball will start at 1:30 p.m. Backseat driving will be at 8:15 p.m. ($5 per two-member team, ages 10 and up).
As the German dinner is being served the Controlled Insanity motorcycle show will perform on Main Street at 11:30 a.m.
A flea market will take place on Main Street in the morning along with an all-day long Goat Raffle by members of the junior class and their parents.
Registration for the car and motorcycle show will be at 9:30 a.m. with awards given at 3 p.m. Parade entries for the “Celebration! 110 years of Education” can sign up near the Christian Church beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Cottonwood Falls
Keeping up with tradition, Cottonwood Falls has a fireworks display on the Saturday closest to the Fourth of July each year. This year, the display will be on June 30 in Cottonwood Falls.
Allen
Allen will have a community fireworks stand just before the Fourth of July.
Coffey County
Coffey County will be hopping starting on June 30 through the Fourth of July holiday. On July 4, there are several events in Coffey County:
• Burlington Fireworks in Kelley Park light up the night sky in celebration of the fourth. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the show! Call 620-364-5334 for more information.
• LeRoy celebrates Independence Day with an ice cream social and fireworks display. Call 620-964-2245 for more information.
• New Strawn boasts the finest fireworks display in Coffey County, choreographed to music, centered on the city lake located in the city park. Call 620-364-8283 for more information.
Emporia
Emporia will have a combined Fourth of July and sesquicentennial celebration starting on June 30. Events will include a fireworks display, concert and a street celebration. For a complete listing of events, see the special section in The Gazette the end of June.
Council Grove
Council Grove will host the Nightworks on the Neosho — one of the largest fireworks displays in Kansas by Stars & Stripes, Excellence in Fireworks on the West bank of the Neosho River. Come early for free meal.