Small communities going all out to celebrate Fourth of July

BEECH GROVE, Ind. — While downtown Indianapolis will be going all out for the Fourth with Fourth Fest, thousands of Hoosiers will celebrate in smaller communities statewide.

No matter where you live, family, friends, and fireworks take center stage every July 4.

In Waldron, Indiana, a town with less than a thousand people, the Waldron Freedom Festival is more than just a holiday; it’s a homecoming for many.

“I love coming home to see people that I haven’t seen in years,” said Amy Dingman, organizer for the Waldron Freedom Fest, “To just sit down and talk to people, it’s just very special.”

From parade floats to tossing hay bales to house decorating, this weekend is a celebration for neighbors who know each other by name. Long-time resident Mark Smith says people from all over come to Waldron for their festival.

“When this shows up, you think it’s like Shelbyville,” Smith said. “Thousands of people come in here.”

The festival has gotten bigger each year and for communities like this, it takes a village to put on a festival like they do. Debbie Dalley is proud that the town’s fireworks help bring people together.

“The firework show is amazing, anybody that comes is just blown away that this happens in this town,” said Debbie Dalley, an organizer for the Waldron Freedom Festival.

Hugh Gardner, the grand marshal for the festival, was shocked to learn he’d be one of the two people leading the parade. He said this festival can compete with any other fireworks show.

“It beats anything I’ve ever seen,” Gardner said. “The whole town is involved, of course, the whole school grounds are involved. It draws an enormous crowd.”

The Waldron Freedom Festival is happening this weekend, and they invite everyone to come experience their hometown feel. Another community doing it big for the Fourth is Beech Grove. Although their celebrations don’t start until the evening, people still love to get there early.

“We have people coming out as early as sometimes 8 o’clock in the morning, putting their chairs and their blankets out,” said Phil Barnard, chairman of the promoters club for Beech Grove.

There will be food trucks, vendors, even a wrestling ring and a kid zone for families to enjoy.

The Mayor of Beech Grove, James Coffman, spoke about how this is a great opportunity for the community to come together and show what they can do. Coffman said his favorite part about these festivals is seeing the community come together for a special holiday.

“Eating some good food, seeing community members and friends and people in the city is always a plus,” Coffman said. “Just seeing our community chatting and having a good time and enjoying the park, that’s what it’s all about.”