IT'S A BLAST: Fontanelle plans Fourth of July festivities

A large group of community organizers have worked long and hard and are very excited to welcome area residents to Fontanelle for an extended Fourth of July celebration.

The Fontanelle Enterprise Club, Fontanelle Lions Club and Fontanelle Fire and Rescue have joined forces to make this celebration the best it can be. Planning efforts date back to last summer.

The theme of this year’s event is “It’s A Blast!” It lasts Wednesday, July 3 through Sunday, July 7.

“With everything going on, we’re glad this is here. We are glad that this is in Fontanelle this year,” said Fontanelle Enterprise Club member Miranda Warrior. “We’re glad we can provide this for the entire area with all that has gone on.”

The festivities will all center around a 10:30 a.m. kiddie parade and 11 a.m. main parade Thursday, July 4. Grand Marshals of the parade are Jim Dickerson and Linda Van Eaton, for his 60-year run working for Farmers Lumber Company. Junior Grand Marshals are the Nodaway Valley/OM boys wrestlers and SWAT girls wrestlers for the recent success their programs have experienced.

But, the parade and festivities on the actual holiday are just one part of the fun.

The Slab Supper on the north side of the square will start the celebration 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday. A choice of pork loin, pork butt, brisket or hot dog will be served with baked beans, pasta, lettuce salad and desserts. There will be a beer garden, put on by both bars, and live music 8:30-11:30 p.m. by Casey Muessingmann.

After the parade, which begins at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, travels south to FNB Bank, west to the fire station, north to Benton Street and west to First Street, Fontanelle Fire and Rescue will serve lunch and there will be a host of activities during the afternoon on the square.

Greenfield firefighters will have water fights, Shamus will play on the stage, there will be facepainting, tattoos and t-shirts from the girls wrestlers, chicken poop bingo, a pedal tractor pull, barrel rides, bingo and more. At 3 p.m., queen candidates for the Adair County Fair will be introduced.

“I love to see everyone on the square,” Warrior said. “We wanted to keep these traditions alive so that we keep people [in our small towns].”

Luke Stutzman will perform at 6:30 p.m. Fireworks will go off from the middle school football field at 9:30 p.m. The fireworks are by J&M Displays, Inc.

Friday’s schedule includes a 3 p.m. beer garden, a carnival brought to town by the Fontanelle Lions, inflatables, face painting and food vendors.

Saturday will feature many of the same things Friday does. Additionally, there is a bags tournament, and Tyler Folkerts will cap the evening, playing live 7-11 p.m.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church has an outdoor worship service planned for 9 a.m. Sunday, the Lions Club will serve breakfast 8-11:30 a.m. and the bars will have a Bloody Mary and mimosas bar 8 a.m.-noon.

Ultimately, Warrior said she hopes people find time to come unwind and enjoy the holiday.

“We hope people forget all that’s going on, come out and enjoy themselves. I think everybody needs it,” Warrior said. “We’re all trying to work together to have this for our city.”