By Vanesa Brashier, editor@bluebonnetnews.com
Independence Day is nearly here and communities in Liberty County are gearing up for a star-spangled celebration with outdoor picnics and barbecues. No Fourth of July would be complete without fireworks, so the cities of Liberty and Cleveland are readying for their two shows held on consecutive nights.
The City of Liberty will kick things off with a fireworks show on July 3 at Liberty Municipal Park, 501 R.E. Vinson St., Liberty. The event begins with free, family-friendly events and a concert with Jason West and West of the Trinity Band.
The line-up for activities begins at 6 p.m. with an inflatable obstacle course and bounce house, face painter, fire trucks, ambulance and police cars on display, and food items sold by Liberty Youth Baseball Association’s 8U Girls Softball Team and the 15U Girls Softball Team. The 8U girls will be selling chopped beef sandwiches, chips, drinks and glow items while the 15U girls will be selling nachos, hot dogs, fruit cups, snow cones, popcorn, Popsicles, drinks and chips.
The concert will begin at 7 p.m. West is a singer-songwriter from Dayton, Texas, who was influenced by country singers Blake Shelton, Billy Currington, Jason Aldean and Clay Walker, among others. His music style is Texas country. The band, which includes Charles Pafford, Greg Klopfenstein, David Galyon and Randy Brockette, plays original songs with lyrics written by West and music arranged by the band.
The fireworks will kick off around 9:15 p.m. after Mayor Carl Pickett delivers a welcome address, an invocation is offered by the Rev. Edwin Hardy with St. John Missionary Baptist Church, and the Pledges of Allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags are led by scouts with Boy Scout Troop #56 and Cub Scout Pack #55.
On July 4, the City of Cleveland will host its annual fireworks display arranged by Celestial Displays of Conroe. The roughly 12-minute show will be synchronized to music.
Originally, the Unity Committee and the City of Cleveland, which host the event, were set to hold the event at the Cleveland High School stadium. However, construction issues and unforeseen problems have arisen, making it necessary to move the fireworks show to the municipal park on SH 321 just south of the SH 105 bypass and the Grand Oaks development. While some seating is available in the park on bleachers, spectators are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets, or watch the show from the comfort of their vehicles.
To get the best seat in the park, spectators should arrive early. The fireworks show will begin just after 9 p.m. following a welcome address by city officials.