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.

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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.