All are invited to join Jefferson County in celebrating our nation’s Independence Day. Some events are scheduled for one day only, so don’t miss out. Others include a weekend-long slew of events.
To start the holiday weekend
- In Arnold, the city will host its famous “Red, White & Blue” Celebration on Saturday, July 1. Festivities begin 4:00 p.m. at the Arnold City Park, 1 Bradley Beach Rd, and will include food, crafts, and inflatable obstacle courses for the kids. Live music sponsored by SSM Health St. Clare will be provided by the band, Vote for Pedro. Fireworks sponsored by Anheuser-Busch will begin at 9:15 p.m.
- Washington State Park, 10 miles south of De Soto on Hwy. 21, will kick off the Fourth of July weekend with its Family Fun Fest. The fun fest will begin Friday, June 30 and includes a variety of events that are planned throughout the next three days.
The activities will start at 6:30 p.m. Friday with a watermelon seed-spitting contest and campers can begin decorating their campsites for the patriotic campsite contest. On Saturday and Sunday, the public is invited to go on a guided walk to the park’s Native American petroglyphs, join in a patriotic sidewalk chalk contest and hear a presentation on the park’s history.
Monday’s activities feature a wildflower walk, a tour of the petroglyphs, a volleyball game and interpretive program in the campground amphitheater.
-In Cedar Hill, Big River VFW Post 5331 and its auxiliaries will again hold a barbeque and fireworks display on Saturday, July 1. The event will be held on the post grounds, 1 Lynne Lane, and start at 11 a.m. Live music, karaoke and barbeque are all on the event agenda. Fireworks will be set off at dusk.
The fun continues
- Another Arnold event, “Celebrate America,” will be held Sunday, July 2. First Baptist Church of Arnold, 2012 Missouri State Road, is hosting this family-fun celebration featuring a car show, carnival rides, games, food vendors, bounce houses, a BMX and motorcycle stunt show and a 20 minute fireworks finale at dusk. Activities start at 6:30 p.m. and will end around 9:30 p.m. The cost is free to the public and food will be available for purchase. Attendees can park at the Arnold Recreation Center and hop on a shuttle provided by the church to get to the event.
- In Valles Mines, the Lost History Museum, 14116 Valles Mines School Road off Hwy. 67 south of Festus and De Soto, will host an Independence Day celebration on Monday, July 3. The festivities start at 2 p.m. and include barbecue, hayrides, a museum open house and fireworks in the evening.
- In Festus, St. Pius X is hosting its first ever fireworks celebration on Monday, July 3. The event will be held on school property, 1030 St. Pius Drive, and include a Randy Russell original fireworks display set to music. There will be food trucks from the Sweet Devine, Low and Slow and Kona Ice. Hot dogs and concessions will also be available in the parking lot as well as live music from the band, Exit 180. The cost is $10 per car and gates open at 6:30 p.m. St. Pius’ Alumni Association will be selling 50/50 raffle tickets and glow sticks. All proceeds from the event will go towards the Alumni Association.
On Independence Day
- In De Soto, the celebration begins with a Fourth of July celebratory parade on Tuesday, July 4. This year’s theme is “All-Star Salute” and floats, equestrian entries and walking units will line up at Wease Distributing, 1000 N. Main Street, at 8:30 a.m. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and will travel south on Main Street and continue west on St. Louis St.The parade is sponsored by De Soto Chamber of Commerce.
- After the parade, the De Soto Lions Club will continue the fun at De Soto High School, 815 Amvets Drive, with its annual 4th of July Fireworks Festival. The festival will have craft booths and vendors, bounce houses, Lions train rides, raffles and a 50/50 drawing.
In addition to the fun activities, the De Soto Lions Club will have barbeque, funnel cakes, snow cones, cotton candy and cold drinks for sale. All proceeds will go towards next year’s fireworks.
The celebration will extend into the evening with the Ivan Gibson Memorial Water Fight, at 5 p.m., organized by De Soto Rural fire protection district. At 7:30 p.m., the festival will recognize all veterans, and at 9:10 p.m. there will be a singing of our country’s National Anthem. Fireworks will begin at 9:15.
- In Imperial, the Meramec Arnold Elks, 1515 Miller Road, will be hosting a July 4 barbeque on Tuesday, July 4. Live music will be played beginning at 5 p.m. and the lodge will be selling grilled hamburgers, brats and hot dogs. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m.
- The city of Eureka is sponsoring an old fashioned July 4th celebration for Tuesday, July 4 at Lions Park, 340 Bald Hill Rd, Eureka. The event, dedicated to military veterans in the community, will start at 7 p.m. and end at 10:30 p.m. Admission is free and concessions will be available for purchase. There will be a kid’s area with crafts and games and live music performed by the band, Hollywood 5. A fireworks display will begin at dusk.
- In Festus, the VFW Post 3777, 900 VFW Drive, will hold a Henry Golden Boy Rifle drawing at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4. The post will also have free hotdogs and juke box music till 6 p.m.
- In Hillsboro, a group of local businesses and organizations will put on the city’s annual 4th of July celebration on Tuesday, July 4. The event will be held on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 10349 Business 21. Gates will open at 6 p.m. for the free event and fireworks will begin at dusk. The event’s activities include pony rides, face painting, concessions and parachute toss at 8 p.m. in STL Diesel Arena. Brats, hotdogs, chips, soda, and watermelon will be available for purchase. Kona ice will be selling shaved ice and packaged ice cream. Spectators are invited to bring their coolers, lawn chairs, picnic blankets, but no pets.
The day after
- The Jefferson County Family YMCA, 1303 YMCA Drive, Festus, day camp campers will host a flag retirement ceremony on Wednesday, July 5 at 11 a.m. Veterans are welcome and encouraged to attend. The campers will be retiring three flags donated by Fred Weber Inc. Despite the preferred burning method of flag retirement, the flags will be buried with respect and reverence, as one would bury and American soldier. If anyone would like to volunteer to play taps to conclude the ceremony, please contact Mryna Fairchild, 636-931-9622, by July 1.