Celebrate the Fourth of July

Many Fourth of July celebrations will include parades to games to music and food throughout the country next week including those held in Wayland, Mt. Pleasant, and Morning Sun.

Wayland

Lions Club Breakfast

Grab a pancake breakfast with all the fixings for a freewill donation at the Wayland Community Center located at 218 W Main Street to kick off Independence Day from 6:30-9:30 a.m.

Parade

Line up and registration for the annual parade will run from 9:30-10:15 a.m. Registion will be located at Main and Jefferson Streets.

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Tractors will line up on Washington Street by The Bar. Horses will line up on Pearl Street by the Wayland Mennonite Church. Automobiles and floats will line up by 4-M Plumbing on Main Street. Children will line up on the corner by People’s Savings Bank on Jefferson Street.

The parade, sponsored by the Wayland Lions Club, will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Main Street, rain or shine. Tim Meyer will announce the parade and Kari Hildebrand Brown will sing the National Anthem during the parade.

Lunch

WACO basketball teams will serve dine in or carry out lunch at WACO High School from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Each meal will include a sandwich, side, and beverage for a freewill donation.

Firefighter Water Games

After the parade children are invited to cool off with the water hose on Main Street from approximately 12-1 p.m.

Fireworks

Enjoy fireworks displayed by the Wayland Volunteer Firefighters and donated by the City of Wayland. Fireworks will begin at dusk.

In case of rain the fireworks will be displayed July 5.

Mt. Pleasant

Festivities in Mt. Pleasant will begin later in the day at McMillian Park. Food options will be available at the Wright Pavilion. SE Dance Competition Team will offer snacks. The Pineapple Whip truck will sell cool treats. Henry County Cattlemen will serve meals under the grandstand.

Parade

A parade will kick things off at 5 p.m. as floats, tractors, and candy-passers cruise past the Wright Pavilion and behind the grandstand.

Those wishing to participate in the parade should report to lineup at 4:30 p.m. near the carousel building.

Meet Your Local Heroes

Immediately following the parade local firefighters, police officers, and other heroes will offer looks into their trucks, photo-ops, and time to visit as Meet Your Local Heroes returns.

Free Activities

As guests to McMillian Park for the Fourth of July wait for fireworks, they can enjoy many free activities without even leaving the park.

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These will include carousel rides, face painting, trolley rides, and bouncy houses from 5:30-8 p.m,.

Fireworks

At dusk the Mt. Pleasant Fire Department will shoot off a fireworks display from McMillian Park.

Morning Sun

Legion Pancake Breakfast

Starting at 6:30 a.m. the American Legion will serve a pancake breakfast including pancakes and sausage or biscuits and gravy with a drink at the American Legion building for freewill donations.

Firecracker Frog Jump

At 9 a.m. the frog jump will return on the Presbyterian Church lawn. Competitors will be divided into age groups.

Quilt Show

Form 10 a.m.-4 p.m. the United Methodist women will host a quilt show on the Fourth of July in Morning Sun.

To participate contact Sue Nichols. Set up for the display will be Tuesday, July 2 from noon-4 p.m.

Small Engine Display & Face Painting by Brandi

Both of these events will begin at 10 a.m. There is a fee for face painting.

Big Wheel Races

Kids 2-6 years old can grab their big wheels or borrow one for the Big Wheel Races beginning at 10:30 a.m. in front of the public library. Participants may register ahead online or in person the day of the event at 10 a.m.

Lambert Flower Show

The flower show will being at 11 a.m.

Water Balloon Toss/Games & Scavenger Hunt

Friends of the Mellinger Library will bring back the Water Balloon Toss and Scavenger Hunt beginning at 11:30 a.m.

The scavenger hunt will include a Major League Baseball theme to match the overall theme of the Morning Sun Fourth of July festivities. Answers for the hunt should be turned into Amie at the park at 6 p.m.

Winners will receive prizes for both activities.

Baby Crawl/Toddler Trot

Beginning at approximately noon behind the Presbyterian Church crawlers and trotters can race to the finish line in a fierce competition.

Each crawler will leave a person and crawl to a person, the baby knows, who is behind the finish line. Crawls will be timed to determine a winner.

The toddler trot will be for kids no older than 3 years old. Each toddler will leave a person and trot or run to a person, the toddler knows, who is behind the finish line! These will also be timed to determine the winner.

Money Hunt

The Money Hunt will take place behind city hall at approximately 12:30 p.m. Kids participating in the hunt will be divided into three groups by age: toddlers-preschool, kindergarten-fourth grade, and fifth grade-eighth grade. Grades are according to what they will enter in the new school year.

Some tokens worth higher values will be hidden in the hay during the hunt.

Train Rides

Free train rides will be availble during the festivities from 1-3 p.m.

Toilet Bowl and Stick Horse Races

Toilet Bowl teams of two will start with one person sitting on a toilet on a wheeled pallet. The other person pushes that person down the track, then they turn the toilet around and switch positions to push themselves back to the finish line.

Toilet Bowl races will begin at 1 p.m. in front of the library.

Stick horse races will follow the toilet bowl races uptown. Kids and adults will compete in age groups to gallop down around a cone and return to the finish line.

Bags Tournament with Water Balloons and Bench Press Competition

At 1 p.m. guests to the Morning Sun festivities can show off their skills in either the bags tournament with water balloons or a bench press competition.

Parade

The traditional Mile-Long Parade will begin at 3 p.m.

Honor Guard will stage at corner on East Division and South Maple.

All floats please park along the west side on South Willmering Street.

All political, business, or advertising vehicles please park in the school entry drive on East Division Street.

All Queen/Princess vehicles park in the gravel out front of the school on East Division Street.

All semis and tractors park on the north side of East Division by South Maple street until the parade starts.

All other motorized vehicles park in the school parking lot.

Horses will be the last to go through the parade, unloading will be near Hoover Trail on East Division St.There will be a fenced grassy area at Lindholm’s house with water available .

Horseshoe Tournament

The horseshoe tournament will begin at 4:30 p.m.

Methodist Ice Cream Social

After a long, hot day of celebrating, cool off with the Methodist Ice Cream Social at 5 p.m. until the evening entertainment begins.

Evening Entertainment

At 7 p.m. continue to unwind as you wait for the dusk fireworks display. Badge Prizes will be awarded at this time. A skydiver will skillfully fall from the sky, and guests will remained entertained until the very last firework explodes to celebrate the 2024 Independence Day in Morning Sun.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com