There are plenty of area activities happening over the next week in celebration of the Fourth of July.
To have your event added to this list, email news@warrensburgstarjournal.com.
Warrensburg
The annual Fourth of July Bike Parade will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. July 2 in downtown Warrensburg hosted by Warrensburg Main Street.
The parade is free to the public and there are no registration fees. Participants are asked to gather on the courthouse lawn at 10:15 a.m. and the parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. The parade will begin at the Johnson County Courthouse, go up East Market Street, circle to East Gay Street and end back at the courthouse. Participants are encouraged to decorate their wagons, trikes, bikes, pets or even themselves to take part in the children's parade.
Guests are encouraged to take a stroll through the Warrensburg Farmers’ Market and then come join the fun with yard games, face painting, a bounce house and more. The event is free.
Warrensburg Parks and Recreation will host a Freedom Fest 5K Run/Walk on July 2 and a Star-Spangled Swin at Nassif on July 4.
The 22nd annual Tom Wilson Memorial will be hosted July 2 and 3 at the Central Missouri Speedway.
Saturday’s payout for B-Mods is $1,000 to win, Pure Stocks is $800 to win, plus, POWRi Super Stocks and POWRi Midwest Mods regular payout. Sunday’s payout for B-Mods is B-Mods $3,000 to win, POWRi Midwest Mods is $500 to win, plus, POWRi Super Stocks and Pure Stocks regular payout.
The speedway’s neighboring bar, Pub 13, will open throughout the race weekend with the last call being at 1 a.m.
The Freedom Spectacular will begin at 6:30 p.m. July 4 at Grover Park Baptist Church, 409 N. Mitchell St.
The church will begin offering food, games and family at 6:30 p.m. The Faith Riders and American Legion Riders will start riding at 7:15 p.m. The Warrensburg Community Band concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Announcements will be made at 8:30 p.m. and at dark (about 9 p.m.) a patriotic service will be hosted and fireworks will begin. Whiteman Air Force Base personnel will present the colors.
Admission to Grover Park Baptist Church’s event is free. In case of rain, the rescheduled date will be July 5.
Whiteman Air Force Base
Whiteman AFB will host a free Independence Day Celebration, open to all Department of Defense ID holders and their guests, at 5 p.m. June 30 in Ike Skelton Park.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Other activities include inflatables, a rock wall, bungee pods, rides, petting zoo, pony rides and an animal selfie station. Fireworks will start shortly after dusk.
Also on June 30 in Ike Skelton Park, Whiteman is hosting its 2022 Firefest Grilling Competition. The competitors will grill off from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. to take the Jack Daniel’s Barrel Head and the bragging rights that come with it.
Firefest is open to the first 40 teams that register, with four members per team. Teams are expected to bring their own canopy, grill, utensils and fire extinguisher. For more information, contact CPPO at 660-687-5754.
Holden
A cruise night and art walk will be hosted from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 1 in downtown Holden. The theme is Military and Veteran Appreciation Night.
Come stroll Second Street, check out the cool cars and variety of artisans showing off their skills. Many businesses will be running specials for those with a military ID.
Sedalia
For the Fourth of July, Sedalia Parks and Recreation is back to a normal year after two years of having limited celebrations.
In partnership with the Sedalia Runners Club, Parks and Rec will be hosting the Firecracker Mile from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on July 4 at Liberty Park. This is the first year that Parks and Rec will host the Firecracker Mile in partnership with the Sedalia Runners Club. The entry fee is $25 for men’s and women’s races and $15 for children 12 and younger in the youth mile race.
Once the race comes to an end, the Fourth of July parade will begin downtown with the theme of America’s Superheroes.
Parade registration is due on July 28 by 5 p.m. to Sedalia Parks and Rec or to Special Events and Marketing Manager Savannah Lynde at slynde@sedaliaparks.com. Details of the parade lineup locations and numbers will be provided on June 29 to the email provided on the registration form.
Judged categories for the parade will include most patriotic, most original, most spirited, and best representation of the theme “America's Superheroes.”
After the parade, the Fourth of July picnic will be at 11 a.m. at Centennial Park with one free hot dog, chips and drink per person.
Along with the picnic will be the Star-Spangled Swim at Centennial Park for half-price admission and free admission for military members and veterans with ID.
The Fourth of July will come to an end at 9:30 p.m. with a fireworks show at the Missouri State Fairgrounds grandstand. Gates will open at 8:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Lynde at slynde@sedaliaparks.com, stop by the Sedalia Parks & Recreation Office at 1500 W. Third St. or call 660-826-4930.
Warsaw
Warsaw will be hosting a total of five fireworks displays to celebrate Independence Day during the first two weeks of July: July 1 at Osage Bluff, July 3 at Cody’s Bait and Tackle, July 4 at Lincoln Park and the American Legion and July 9 at Rick’s Oar House.
Truman Lake Adventure Club will also be hosting both the Liberty 5K Run and Walk and the Wet and Wild Water 5K on July 2. The Liberty 5K starts from Drake Harbor at 7:30 a.m. and follows the riverfront trails in downtown Warsaw. The Wet and Wild 5K has its paddle start at 11 a.m., boating from East Bledsoe Ferry Park to Drake Harbor. Registration is required for both. Event proceeds support Warsaw Senior Center's home-delivered meals for their veterans program.
Warsaw Adventures is hosting the Glow Crazy Bike Ride at 8:30 p.m. July 3. The event is free for those who bring their own bike, preferably already equipped with disco lights, or bikes are available to rent. Advanced registration is required for rentals.
Green Ridge
Kurtfest 2022 will be hosted from 4 to 10 p.m., July 2 at 31649 S. Hinken Road in Green Ridge.
Guests are invited to enjoy fireworks and music by Seventh Sunrise, We Make Noise, Catfish Jackson & the Lonely Bones Band, Jay Waldo, Brothers K and Marilyn Brie.
Hughesville
The Village of Hughesville will be hosting a Fourth of July picnic at 6:30 p.m. July 4.
Guests are asked to bring a side dish and to bring their own chairs while the board is providing meat, buns, tea and lemonade.
Fireworks are set to start at 8:30 p.m. and end at 8:45 p.m.
Lincoln
Lincoln’s Fourth of July Celebration will begin at 9 a.m. July 2 at Lincoln City Park with a slew of events throughout the day.
The day begins with a baby contest at 9 a.m. at the Park Pavillion; registration begins at 8:45 a.m.
Next, there will be the parade and 3v3 basketball tournament that begins at 10 a.m. before moving on to the kids’ activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The activities will include face painting, the barrel train, park train and games.
At 2 p.m. will be the pet parade sponsored by Heavenly Pets at the Lake, then Backseat Driver from 3 to 5 p.m and a cornhole tournament from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Beer Gardens will open at 7 p.m. with music by Rider Smith. From 8 to 11:30 p.m. there will be music by Cedar Creek.
There will be a fireworks show at dusk July 4.
Tipton
The Maclay Home’s 40th annual Ice Cream Social on the home’s lawn will be from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 4.
Grilled hamburgers and hot dogs will be served from the Carriage House along with ice cream and homemade desserts.
Tours of the home will be offered from noon to 1:30 p.m. and veterans may do so for free. The grounds will also host attractions including cannon firings, games for children, the Country Store and live music.
The Maclay Home is on the corner of Howard and B Highway in Tipton, six blocks north of the intersection of Highways 5 and 50.
