FORT LORAMIE — Come support the local community at this year’s Fort Loramie Liberty Days being held June 30 and July 1-2.
The festival includes live music from Kevin & the Others on Friday night, Shifferly Road on Saturday night and DJ Spicemasta will play during the Sunday activities. Local committees volunteering their talents at the event are Boosters Club, Cub Scouts, Youth Ministry, Fort Loramie Community Service Club, Girl Scouts and Cheerleaders, G.Y.M Committee and Shelby County Dairy Boosters. The fireworks display, provided by High-Tech Special Effects, Friday evening at 10 p.m. will be one that you don’t want to miss!
Saturday is for the kids with Junior Trivia, a kids tent, balloon twisting, National Kiddie Tractor Pull, face painting and more. Come participate in the many tournaments throughout the weekend including Bean Bags (youth and adult), volleyball and dodge ball (all ages). Popular events that are back this year include Turtle Races sponsored by the Boy Scouts, Little Miss Independence and Miss Independence Queen contests as well as the Youth Ministry cake wheel.
The fun doesn’t stop here, find the full schedule of events at several local establishments including Wagner’s, Osgood State Bank and US Bank in Fort Loramie.
“We appreciate all the support from the local community… and don’t miss the Parade on Saturday,” said Jill Siegel with the Fort Loramie Liberty Days Committee.
The parade on Saturday, July 1, at with the theme “Only in America,” will include three local bands — the Fort Loramie Alumni Marching Band, Fort Loramie High School Marching band and the Anna High School Marching Band — along with the TRSS Drum Corps from Dayton. There will be numerous local businesses with floats, antique cars, community groups and emergency vehicles participating in Saturday’s parade. According to Neil Borchers with the Fort Loramie Liberty Days Committee, the parade will include plenty of entertainment and candy for the kids including participating floats passing out American flags, candy and other favors to kids along the parade route.
As grand marshals, the parade committee is honoring two community members who have given countless hours to protect and serve the Fort Loramie community over the years. The grand marshals for this year’s parade are Rex Frey and the late Jerome Barhorst. Barhorst served as an active member of the Fort Loramie Volunteer Fire Department for 42 years and was chief for nearly 25 years. Frey devoted the majority of his adult life to the Fort Loramie Rescue Squad. He served as a squad member for 48 years and served as chief of the organization for 27 years, he also served for 20 years on the Fort Loramie Volunteer Fire Department.
The parade begins on Saturday, July 1, at noon at the Fort Loramie High School, 600 E. Park St. As the parade begins, it will travel west down Greenback Road to South Main Street (State Route 66) before proceeding up South Main Street and turning east on Lane Street and travelling past the festival grounds and ending shortly after. Along Lane Street, the committee will have grandstand style seating for the public and a parade announcer providing details of each parade entry as they pass by.
For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the festival’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/liberty.days.3/.
