JAYCEES FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION TO BE BIGGEST EVER

For Americans the Fourth of July means saying happy birthday to our country, patriotism, fireworks, time off from work and time with our friends and family.

For Jacksonians the event means all of those things and more. The Fourth of July is a time for Jacksonites to celebrate the time honored tradition of mud volleyball and the 184th birthday of the town to mention a few. And this year will be more special than previous years.

"It's going to be the biggest and best Fourth of July celebration in the history of the city," David Murphy, event coordinator, said.

This is due to the combined efforts of the City of Jackson, the Jackson Chamber of Commerce and, of course, the Jaycees, Murphy added.

Why is this year's event going to be more special? This year's event is a two-day event. And in case of rain on Friday and/or Saturday event organizers are prepared to celebrate on Sunday.

What else is special about this year's event? This year's event will hold the largest fireworks display in Jackson's history on Saturday night after the Jackson Municipal Band finishes its concert that begins at 8 p.m.

This year's event is also focused on the entire family with activities to be enjoyed by every age group.

On Friday, a parade is planned, which will be followed by opening ceremonies at the Jackson City Park.

Entertainment at the Band Shell begins at 8:30 p.m. with magician Bill Coomer who will be followed by the band "Night Shift." They will play favorites from the 1950s and 1960s.

Hot air balloons will glow throughout the evening for added beauty in the park.

On Independence Day, the annual Drug Free Council's fun run and walk begins at 7:30 a.m. Then 48 clean volleyball teams will start getting dirty at 8 a.m. They will play throughout the day until only one team remains standing in the mud.

Another new item slated for the birthday party will be the Easter Seals Bed Race, which begins at 11 a.m.

For children there will be rides for the first time ever, as well as games, a petting zoo, hopefully pony rides and a fishing rodeo at Rotary Lake. Also, the Cape County Fire Fighters Association will have its Smoke House on hand.

Watermelon and pie eating contests will also keep competitive spirits high. But if that's not competition enough for you, the Little Mr. and Miss Firecracker contest is making its triumphant comeback at this year's extravaganza.

Don't miss the car show, the annual horse shoe tournament and the hot air balloon exhibition.

Jaycee member Brent Wills said they hope to begin a hot air balloon festival at next year's event. The exhibition this year will have three to five balloons and it is hoped the event will grow in future years.

For those who are looking to make an impact on the world they live in, there will political booths in the park as well.

This year's celebration will also have a gospel stage as well as the stage the "Night Shift" band and Jackson Municipal Band will play on.

Jim Skaggs is working on the gospel stage, which will be located in the park.

Plenty of concessions stands will be located in the park to provide you with the food and beverage you will need for the event. The proceeds go toward each individual civic group that has a booth. Any Jaycees profit will be donated to the Jackson Park Board.

Wills said the Jaycees are trying to workout a parking strategy for the event. They expect 5,000 to 6,000 people to attend the celebration.