MAGGIE GREEN
mgreen@nwaonline.com
Cities across Northwest Arkansas are preparing for Independence Day celebrations. They boast offerings of food, entertainment and community unity to honor the country’s creation.
BELLA VISTA
The city of Bella Vista’s annual fireworks display will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday. Viewers can watch from the park below Loch Lomond Dam on Glasgow Road.
The Fourth of July Patriotic Parade will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday and will be at the Sugar Creek Plaza shopping center. “In this community, it is absolutely a celebration of patriotism in America,” says Julie Hull, a coordinator for the parade. “We’re just excited to have it again this year.”
The Bella Vista Community Band will play from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday at Blowing Springs Park. Admission is free, and there will be a food truck and ice cream truck. Shari Ogburn, a percussionist and coordinator for the band, says this will be their 39th year to perform.
“We’ve got over 50 members right now,” Ogburn says. “A lot of the members are educators, band directors or played in the military bands. The quality of the music is just unbelievable.”
BENTONVILLE
A free evening at Orchards Park will be from 7-10 p.m. Tuesday and will include food trucks, live music and fireworks. Admission is free.
Crystal Bridges’ free “Flagged for Discussion” exhibition will be on display until Sept. 25. The museum of American art describes the gallery as a “free focus exhibition that embraces various representations of the U.S. flag across time.” The museum is closed on Tuesday.
FARMINGTON
The city of Farmington will have a free fireworks display visible from Randall G. Lynch Middle School. The show will begin at dusk Tuesday, according to advertisements.
GARFIELD
Ventris Trail’s End Resort will have a choreographed fireworks display Saturday evening on Beaver Lake. The show will be visible south of marker 8 on the lake, and it is meant to be viewed by boat, according to the website.
GENTRY
The 129th year of Gentry Freedom Fest will be Tuesday at Gentry City Park. The event will last from noon until the fireworks end at night, says Janie Parks, the director of the Gentry Chamber of Commerce. Entertainment includes live music, pageants, food trucks, a car show and games.
“It’s a chance for all the community to come together, but we definitely have more than our community here,” Parks says. “Our community is about 5,000 people, but we draw between 12,000 and 15,000 to our park during that day.”
PRAIRIE GROVE
The city will host a fireworks show Saturday on the field south of the high school at dusk, and fireworks will be visible from the north along Bush Street and from the south along West Buchanan Street, according to the city’s Facebook post.
The Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park will host a 30-minute remembrance program at 1 p.m. Tuesday. The outdoor program will be free and located by the Memorial Tower. The event will conclude with canon firing in the Ozark Village.
ROGERS
The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas Fireworks Spectacular will be held Tuesday at the Walmart AMP. Gates open at 7 p.m., and the symphony will play from 8-11 p.m. with a fireworks display to accompany the music. Music includes patriotic numbers, hits from Broadway soundtracks and blockbuster movies. Seat tickets are $10, and lawn tickets are $3. The Walton Arts Center is the only authorized ticket seller.
Shadow Valley Country Club will host its first ever Cameron Smith Memorial Fireworks Show at 6 p.m. Monday. There will be a buffet offering Milo’s Street Tacos, burgers, ribs and more. Bounce houses will be available for children, and the fireworks will begin after dark, according to the Facebook post. The club encourages visitors to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets to view the fireworks, which will be launched from the driving range. Vehicles can park in the clubhouse parking lot, in Phase 11, or in the grass by the basketball court.
SILOAM SPRINGS
The annual Fire in the Sky fireworks show will begin at dark Tuesday. The shooting site has been moved to the rodeo grounds due to traffic concerns. Instead of parking at the airport, spectators should park and view the show from nearby locations such as the Siloam Springs High School or La-Z-Boy Ballfields. There will be no parking at the rodeo grounds.
SPRINGDALE
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals baseball team will play the Arkansas Travelers Tuesday at Arvest Ballpark. The game begins at 7:05 p.m. and will conclude with a large fireworks display.
The annual Har-Ber Meadows Fireworks Show will be held at Crumpacker Park at 9 p.m. Tuesday. Fitz’s Snoballs will be selling shaved ice before and during the event, and Riverside Fireworks will be launching the display. The entrance to Wells Circle will be closed during the event, and coordinators request that visitors stay out of the shooting area, or the program will be canceled. Sections of the street will be blocked off with traffic cones.
WEST FORK
Devil’s Den State Park will host a July 4 family day Tuesday. The celebration includes lawn games like horseshoes, egg toss, sack races, a bike parade, and softball tournaments. Guests should meet at the Ball Field in Area E, according to the website.
RIVER VALLEY
Greenwood Freedom Fest starts with a 5K run at 7 a.m. Tuesday, followed by music, free games, inflatables and more on the Greenwood Town Square. Admission is free.
The Mayor’s Fourth of July Celebration Tuesday includes music starting at 5 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. at Harry E. Kelley Park in Fort Smith. Admission is free. More information at fortsmith.org.
Van Buren will hold a fireworks display at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Field of Dreams. More information at vanburen.org.
