By Richard Sullins | richard@rantnc.com
The celebration of America’s 248th birthday in Sanford on Thursday promises to be an afternoon and evening of fun and celebration the City is calling “Freedom Fest” in Kiwanis Family Park. It will be a day of custom cars, family-friendly activities, live music, and the return of fireworks to Sanford for its Independence Day festivities at dusk.
It will begin at 3 p.m. with face painting and balloon twisting at the Splash Pad, along with a Sanford Car News cruise-in event located nearby that folks with a passion for automobiles won’t want to miss. The local rock group The Long Way will perform between 4 and 6 p.m., followed by country musician Paige King Johnson at 6.
Food trucks will be situated within the park throughout the afternoon and early evening, including Lazy J’s Concessions, Tacos El Primo, SweeTie’s Raspados, and Cash’s Smokin’ BBQ. Desserts will be available from Millie’s Mama Bakes, Boli’s Donuts, and Kool Kats Ice Cream.
The fireworks are expected to begin around dusk between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m. sunset. The National Weather Service predicts skies will be partly cloudy with no chance of rain with a temperature of about 86 degrees.
Restrooms at the park will remain open throughout the day and the splash pad will adhere to its usual schedule of 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. The city encourages carpooling, since there is a limited amount of parking available inside the park.
Overflow parking will be available at the Riverbirch Shopping Center, with access to Kiwanis Park then by way of the Endor Iron Furnace Greenway. The city will be placing lighting along the Greenway during the evening to provide a safe environment.
Admission to Freedom Fest is free and open to all. The best viewing is expected to be inside of the paved half-mile walking trail located between the splash pad and Wicker Street, so attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets and folding chairs. Coolers are welcome, but the city notes that the park is a smoke-free and alcohol-free zone.
Because of the high volume of pedestrian activity expected along Wicker Street near the entrance to the park, and with children and the elderly expected to be among the crowd as the fireworks show ends, the city has asked there be no parking along Wicker Street in order to minimize the possibility of an accident.
Planning for Freedom Fest has been going on since the cold days of winter, led by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and enabled by the City Council. Sanford Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon sees it as yet another way to celebrate the things that make us a free people and uniquely Americans.
“We are so excited for the City of Sanford to offer this phenomenal event that will bring our community together to celebrate our nation’s independence,” she said. “Let’s work together to make it a safe and happy day for everyone.”
I would suggest going forward that this event be held at the fair grounds. Parking is readily available and everywhere you would have a clear view. We could not even get close enough within Kiwanis Park to get a glimpse of the fireworks due to obstruction by the trees. Wicker Street was a traffic nightmare. The event was well intentioned but not well planned.
S. Ward, Thank you for voicing your opinion. My neighbor’s mother is a resident of Parkview which is located across the street from the fireworks and music. It was a very long night for many because of the “not well planned event.” The noise level of the music was such that someone from Parkview called the Sanford police and asked that they send an officer to hopefully reduce the sound. I know first hand the distress the music and fireworks caused the residents and their families. If any of the residents had experienced a medical emergency it would have been impossible for EMTs to reach them. I have been told that music events will be held every week. I will be supporting Parkview in their efforts to stop all fireworks and to reduce noise levels. I don’t know if the city or the county is responsible for this but they should be mindful of the stress these events have and will cause.
So the question that will never be answered is who are the people that thought this location was a good idea?