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Holiday Events Start Today, Sail Into Sunset With Balloons
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step right up and get ready to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Activities start today, Wednesday, and run right through Sunday.
On the schedule is the Freedom Food Festival today, the Children’s Bike Parade tomorrow morning, music and fireworks at Glen Maury Park tomorrow evening, the celebration of the 250th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s purchase of Natural Bridge Friday, and Balloons Over Rockbridge Saturday and Sunday.
For details about Friday’s celebration at Natural Bridge State Park, turn back to page B1. For a summary of the rest, stay turned right here.
Freedom Food Festival
The Freedom Food Festival returns to downtown Lexington today from 5 to 10 p.m. Admission is free, and the event will take place rain or shine – or excessive heat.
This year’s festival will feature music from Love Canon, Will Reid and SJ McDonald. The music and stage are arranged by Lime Kiln Theater.
Meal tickets for those who didn’t purchase them before today will be $25. There will also be pies and homemade ice cream available for purchase from Friends of Rockbridge Swimming, kids meals from Hull’s Angels, and water and nonalcoholic beverages from Team Na-Na Sports.
More information about food options, including menus, can be found at www.freedomfoodfestival. com.
Additionally, alcohol will be available for purchase at participating restaurants for both inside and outside consumption within the designated outdoor refreshment area.
The Freedom Food Festival is presented by the Lexington-Rockbridge Chamber of Commerce, Lexington and the Rockbridge Area Tourism, Main Street Lexington, the Southern Inn, along with steering committee members Laurie Macrae, Tara Orebaugh, Jason Melvin, Kasey Potter and Steve Givens.
Bike Parade
The 39th annual downtown Lexington Fourth of July Children’s Bike Parade will take place an hour earlier than in previous years.
Children ages 12 and under, along with an accompanying adult, are invited to come down to The Hub at 314 S. Main St., adjacent to Oak Grove Cemetery, beginning at 9 a.m. Kids will receive free decorations to adorn their vehicles, including flags, balloons and streamers. Additionally, face painting and a Fourth of July tattoo station will be part of the pre-parade festivities.
T he parade starts at 10 a.m., with Uncle Sam leading bikes down Main Street to the Washington and Lee University corral parking lot on Jefferson Street. Free hot dogs, drinks and water will be available from Mountain City Mason Lodge No. 67, along with fresh watermelon provided by The Georges.
Coordinated by Main Street Lexington, the Children’s Bike Parade is supported by Corner-Stone Bank, Kendal at Lexington and downtown merchants.
At The Park
Thursday’s festivities will be capped off with music and fireworks at Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista.
Area residents can enjoy dancing and music by the local Party Crashers Band at the pavilion behind the Paxton House from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, with those 16 and under free.
Fireworks will light up the sky starting at 9:30 p.m.
Balloon Showtime
The Balloons Over Rockbridge Hot Air Balloon and Music Festival will wrap up this year’s holiday’s festivities on Saturday and Sunday at the Virginia Horse Center’s Oak Hill property.
This year’s festival will feature 22 balloons, the most ever in the festival’s history.
Five of the balloons will be new to the festival, one of those in the shape of an apple all the way from California.
Also among those balloons will be “Tiny” the fire dog, which was supposed to have made its local debut last year but was unable to make it. Designed and owned by the fire marshal for Henrico County, the balloon tours the U.S. to promote fire safety. The balloon won’t be taking riders at the festival, but those attending will be able to see it inflated.
The festival kicks off on Saturday with a scheduled balloon launch at 6 a.m., weather permitting. Throughout the day, starting at 2:30 p.m., there will be live music, food and beverages, and vendor booths. Tethered balloon rides start at 4 p.m., weather permitting. The day winds up with another balloon launch and at 9 p.m., the Ed McDaniel Memorial Balloon Glow.
Sunday’s schedule is essentially the same, with two balloon launches, one early morning and one in the evening.
Spaces are still available for the piloted balloon rides, which cost $300 per person and require a reservation. To make a reservation, send an email to dee@balloonsoverrockbridge. com.
Tethered flights are on a firstcome, first-served basis and cost $20 for adults and $15 for children under 10.
Balloons Over Rockbridge needs people to help with crewing some of the balloons. If interested, send an email to ballooncrewbor@ gmail.com.
The event raises money for a number of local charities, including Hope House, Rockbridge Recovery’s transitional facility for recovering addicts that recently opened in Buena Vista; Friends of Natural Bridge State Park; Rockbridge County Fire and Rescue; Lexington Fire and Rescue; Street Ransom, an extension of Straight Street Roanoke Valley, designed to bring awareness to sex trafficking and provide services for survivors; and the Mary Carol Moore Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for students who are pursuing a career in education and are active community volunteers.
