Vidalia planning major event for holiday
Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 30, 2005
VIDALIA &045; There’s a Fourth of July planning committee in Vidalia that plans on keeping you in town on Monday.
Though they passed on the idea of physically blocking all Miss-Lou exits, the group has done all it can think of to make the local Independence Day celebration one worth sticking around for.
The day will kick off at 9:30 a.m. on the Riverfront with the landing of a Black Hawk helicopter, which will stick around for tours. Music will start at 10 a.m. and go all day. The band Escape and the St. Joseph Orchestra will perform.
Games for children and adults will run all day with a trophy ceremony at 5 p.m.
At 5:30, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, veterans and military personnel will lead a parade down the Riverwalk. Local recruits will be sworn in, and names of area military personnel killed in war will be read.
The day will conclude at nightfall with a fireworks show, better than all the ones in years past, committee Chairwoman Grace Woods said.
&uot;It’s the biggest fireworks display our area has ever seen,&uot; she said. &uot;To my knowledge, it’s the biggest Fourth of July ever.&uot;
The committee started working on plans a year ago and has made an effort to include everyone in the Miss-Lou. The City of Vidalia’s departments and workers play a large role in sponsoring the day’s events and many local businesses contributed a lot of time and money.
&uot;It’s turning out to be really wonderful,&uot; Woods said. &uot;We really need a family, old time celebration and to feel patriotic. We are trying to keep people in town and get them to call their friends and family here.&uot;
Committee member Mo Saunders volunteered to screen print the event T-shirts herself. Saunders bought the equipment and learned the process and has spent any spare time to print the shirts. They are available for $12 for and adult and $8 for a child. Money raised will go back to the city.
Woods said the committee plans to make the event larger each year.