NEW KNOXVILLE — Fun, food, music, 5K Night Run and Famous Fireworks! The New Knoxville Community Park Association is planning its annual Independence Day Celebration for Saturday, July 2, and Sunday, July 3, 2016, at the New Knoxville Community Park.
According to Sheila Farley of the New Knoxville Park Board, the festival usually draws thousands of people from surrounding communities as well as the village of New Knoxville, and this year’s event promises to be better than ever.
New for 2016 is the T102 Country Star Playoffs, a chance for local performers to demonstrate their talents. The band Exploit will back up each contestant who will sing for an audience and judges beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The New Knoxville event is one of five preliminary playoffs sponsored by T102, a Lima radio station. Finals will be held on Aug. 3 at the Auglaize County Fair where two winners from each preliminary will compete for a $3000 prize. Hopefuls should go to T102.iheart.com to register.
Saturday night from 8 p.m. to midnight, the main stage will rock with the sounds of 1988 Band. On Sunday, the featured evening entertainment is the band Haywired.
Speaking of music, The Way International Choir will kick off the entire celebration at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, things get rolling a little earlier with the Woody A. Piehl Wooden Bat Softball Tournament starting at 9:00 a.m.
Saturday’s highlights include a cornhole tourney that promises a $400 prize for the winning team. There will also be “Hot Shot” and “Free Throw” competitions. Special events on Sunday include a 10:15 a.m. church service, followed by a flag ceremony by the Boy Scouts at 11:15. The annual Pie Baking Contest will be judged at noon at the shelter house with prizes of $50 for first place, $25 for second, and $10 for third. The winning cakes will then be auctioned off.
As always, there will be lots of fun activities throughout the weekend for the whole family including Inflatables for the kids, a sawdust pile, cake wheel, beer tent, food, raffles, and a silent auction. The Friends of the Library will host a book sale, and there will also be a photo contest. One new addition to this year’s celebration is the Kona Ice Truck, serving shaved ice cones throughout the weekend.
Barbecue chicken dinners are available for dine-in or carry-out on Sunday starting at 4 p.m. Sunday will also feature Little League baseball games between New Knoxville and New Bremen. Third-graders take the field at 3, followed by the fourth-grade game at 5, and the fifth- and sixth-graders at 7.
It is unusual to run a 5K at night, but the 5K Night Ranger Walk/Run is always a popular event. Adventurous runners and walkers will head through the streets of New Knoxville and neighboring country roads starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday evening. The top three males and females in each age group will receive medals and the overall winners, male and female, will receive gift certificates. Registration for the Walk/Run is $20 and participants need to register at www.speedy-feet.com.
The largest crowd traditionally gathers for the Famous Fourth Fireworks Display on the final day of the festival. One of the best fireworks shows in the area, the colorful display will begin at 10 p.m. on Sunday.
A complete schedule for each day, corporate sponsorship opportunities, and entry forms for the various contests can be found at www.nkjuly4.com.
