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 The day began at Scully Park where children and many
adults participated in the walking parade. There were a large number
of children who came on bikes and the bicycle classes were indeed
the most difficult for the judges not only because of the quantity
but also because of the quality of entries.
Nearly every bicycle was nicely decorated in red,
white and blue with glittery garlands, American flags, and much
more.
In addition to decorating their bikes the kids
themselves also work patriotic colors and accessories such as Uncle
Sam Style hats, stars and stripes sunglasses, head bands, and even
red, white and blue hair!
The walkers were also nicely decked out in their patriotic colors
with many carrying American Flags. Even the wagons and strollers
with tiny tots inside were decked out to reflect the theme of the
holiday.
Among the entries this year there was only one pet, but he was a
popular return – Erb. The little dog was also well adorned as he
arrived at the park with his little red, white, and blue hat.
At the beginning of the event, kids and their parents registered at
a table manned by park district volunteers, then were lined up by
LPD program director Abby Neece.
This year the judges were Patty Becker of the United
Way of Logan County and Karen Hargis with Lincoln Daily News.
When the judging was completed the parade began, led by the Lincoln
Police Department squad car. The Lincoln Fire Department was also on
hand and brought up the rear of the parade. The parade traveled from
Scully Park to the Lincoln Park District.
At the park district, everyone was offered bottled water and a snack
before Neece announced this year’s prize winners.
With the business of the parade completed, the
Lincoln Fire Department offered kids the opportunity to get wet as
they unrolled their fire hoses and sprayed water across the front
lawn at the LPD. Many youngsters enjoyed that opportunity on a very
warm morning after a pretty long hike.
At noontime the Aquatic Center was opened and those
coming in for a swim were invited to participate in fun and games in
the pool.
In the early afternoon inflatable obstacle courses
and bounce houses were set up, oversized games such as Jenga and
checkers were set up, a balloon artist arrived, as did a very
talented face painter. All the activities at the park were provided
free of charge and kids and adults alike enjoyed the games. The
playground was also a popular place as children of all sizes enjoyed
all the park district had to offer.
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Lincoln Land Catering and Nuthatch Hill BBQ came out and set up
their food trucks so visitors could take advantage of the popular
summer foods - barbecue and corn dogs for an afternoon snack or an
evening meal.
The Josh Holland Band arrived and set up for an
evening of entertainment. The music began at 6 p.m. and the band
played two sets, wrapping up right around 8 p.m. The music was a mix
of country, mild or soft rock and crossover and could be heard and
enjoyed all over the park.
A bags tournament was held for kids and was a good deal of fun for
those who participated.
As the afternoon turned to dusk, people began to gather along the
edge of the putting green in anticipation of the fireworks that
would come when the skies grew dark. Families gathered with their
lawn chairs and blankets, kids took advantage of the wide open
spaces for play.
The fireworks then began at around 9:20 p.m. and were
some of the best the park district has ever offered. The night began
with an awesome ground display and ended with a grand finale that
lasted several minutes all by itself. In between there were dozens
of Chinese Rockets sent into the sky with many colorful eruptions
that brought exclamations from the audience. On a number of
occasions rockets were shot off in groups of two and three at a
time, making for a full sky of colorful explosions.
This year, the LPD worked hard to raise the funding to bring a
day-long event to Lincoln. There were many downtown businesses and
individuals who lent their support to the efforts with cash
donations for the fireworks and sponsorships for some of the special
activities. The Josh Holland Band was sponsored by Lincoln Chrysler
Dodge Jeep Ram, and Friendship Manor and the ALMH Community Health
Collaborative were sponsors for the inflatable games on the lawn. The LPD also sought and received
financial assistance from the Logan County Tourism Bureau.
The LPD and the volunteers that worked so hard to bring the
celebration to Lincoln were well satisfied with how it all turned
out. The children’s parade was one of the best attended in the last
several years. The activities at the park during the afternoon were
well attended.
The band did a great job and the music was good. The balloon guy and
the face painting lady were popular as there was a constant line for
their offerings all evening long.
For the first year of retuning to an old-fashion family celebration,
the activities were well attended but not crowded. The park district
is optimistic that they made a good first start at a continuing
tradition of bringing a day-long celebration to the citizens of
Lincoln and Logan County. They are hopeful that in the future years,
they will see more and more people come home to Lincoln for their
Independence Day celebrations.
[Nila Smith] |
