All volunteer nonprofit group puts on week-long Freedom Fest events
Published in the June 10-23, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Frances Nance
Frances Nance
Morgan Hill remains one of the few cities in the Bay Area that continues to hold all-day events to celebrate America’s heritage during the Fourth of July. Our downtown events this year include the Patriotic Sing, Street Dance, Freedom Run, Independence Day Parade, and Car Cruise ‘n’ Show. The evening of July 4 we’ll witness a spectacular fireworks and entertainment show at the Outdoor Sports Center.
Putting on these Freedom Fest events is Independence Day Celebrations, a nonprofit organization committed to uniting the community around the vision of our Founding Fathers. We are committed to reinforcing and sustaining the principles of American freedom in our community through Independence Day events open to all.
Our Freedom Fest events make Independence Day truly a hometown celebration dedicated to preserving our national and local heritage. Most importantly, we are celebrating together our freedom as citizens of the United States of America. We have the largest annual event in Morgan Hill and it’s put on entirely by volunteers. The award-winning July 4 parade is the largest privately organized parade in Northern California and the official Independence Day Parade of Santa Clara County.
For more than 20 years, one of Morgan Hill’s most popular Independence Day events has been the downtown Street Dance on the evening of July 3. This year, the dance location has moved back to downtown and the main stage will be located at Third and Monterey streets. This year’s Street Dance begins at 7 p.m. with a salute to our veterans as 13-year-old Angeline Madriaga sings the national anthem.
Before the Street Dance begins, visit the Patriotic Sing at Morgan Hill’s Downtown Amphitheater starting at 6 p.m. Here you’ll see the faces of our future that beam with respect, enthusiasm, pride and a spirit of patriotism as we sing the songs of America and honor those who serve in the Armed Forces. For many people, this marks the beginning of Morgan Hill’s Fourth of July celebrations. Operation Freedom Paws and the Blue Star Moms will join us as our honorary guests for the Patriotic Sing.
Longtime Morgan Hill residents, from left, Colleen Reed, Cody Reed, 2, and Ben Reed cheer on 2014 parade participants from a sidewalk on the southwest side of Main Avenue.
At 7:20 pm, a live performance by Janet Thompson, a guitar playin,’ blues slangin,’ musician out of San Martin, takes place on the main stage. Then the Usual Suspects will highlight the Street Dance with their high-energy classic rock.
The next day on July 4, get up early and go for one of the Freedom Runs. All races begin on Peak Avenue near Saint Catherine’s Church. Register early at the website or register that day from 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. at nearby P.A. Walsh STEAM Academy. Later, entertainment begins at 9 a.m. with the annual Car Cruise at 9:30 a.m. and the parade begins at 10 a.m. Considered to be the best hometown Fourth of July parade in Northern California, we boast a street audience in excess of 50,000 people watching more than 2,500 participants in the parading units, including marching bands, colorful floats, a variety of performance groups, and numerous specialty entries.
This year, make sure you keep your eyes open for the parade’s Grand Marshall James Allen Taylor, a retired United States Army officer. He is a recipient of the United States military’s highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Vietnam War. Free bicycle racks will be available on the east side of Second and Third streets. If people want to ride to downtown, they can lock their bikes up here.
Another amazing group to look for is the Kantuta Ballet Folklorico De Bolivia. This organization preserves the culture and folklore of Bolivia through ancestral dances. After the parade, go over to the Downtown Amphitheater where the cars will be lined up for your enjoyment. Applications are available on our website and at local businesses.
Similar to last year, the Fireworks on the Green will be located at the Outdoor Sports Center, 16500 Condit Road. Gates will open at 3 p.m. so you can come in and set up a good viewing spot for the fireworks, which will begin around 9:30 p.m. Bring a picnic basket if you’d like and buy beer, soft drinks, and other beverages on the premises. There will be a few food vendors and ice cream. Please do not bring any bottles into the area. Entertainment kicks off at 5 p.m. with the soulful R&B and jazz vocal stylings of local favorite David Johnson.
About 7 p.m., we will have an old fashioned pie eating contest and diaper derby competition. Our Patriotic Singers will also be singing the songs of America as we wait for darkness. The featured band for this year’s fireworks show is the Country Cougars, who will entertain until it is dark enough to begin the fireworks. Entrance is free. Parking is $10, so you might want to carpool or ride your bike to the event.
It takes more than $150,000 and more than 500 volunteers each year to organize and produce the Freedom Fest. We rely on the support of citizens and businesses and corporations to fund the festivities.
Frances Nance is an Independence Day Celebrations board member. She wrote this for Morgan Hill Life. For more information, call her at (408) 712-7646 or email [email protected].
