Communities across Iowa will offer fireworks, parades and more to celebrate the United States of America’s 250th birthday this July Fourth.
Some celebrations will be grander for the sake of it being the country’s 250th anniversary of its independence, and many are expecting people to come out in droves.
Not only is it the semiquincentennial but the Fourth of July is also on a Saturday this year, said Waukee city spokesperson Heather Behrens. That means many people will be able to make a long weekend out of the celebration.
And some cities are trying new things for their festivities. West Des Moines has shifted the location of its fireworks to Jordan Creek Town Center to accommodate larger crowds. The city will also use the previous location at its civic campus for something new — an after dark show put on by 200 drones, sponsored in part by Microsoft.
There will be lights and sounds in the sky all across central Iowa the long weekend around the Fourth of July and weekends to follow.
Here is a list of some of the events happening on and around July 4.
Altoona
Prairie Meadows casino and racetrack, 1 Prairie Meadows Dr., will host fireworks at dusk on July 3 as part of its family-friendly Stars & Stripes July 3rd Weekend. The event will include live horse racing at 4 p.m., free outdoor live music from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. and free trackside entertainment beginning at 4 p.m. More information is available at prairiemeadows.com/events.
Adventureland amusement park, 305 34th Ave. N.W., will have fireworks at dusk on July 4. Military members and veterans will be provided free tickets to the park July 3 through July 5, and they can purchase up to four tickets half-off, according to City of Altoona spokesperson Adam Bowersox.
The Altoona Area Historical Society’s parade will start at 10 a.m. July 4, from Venbury Drive to Haines Park. More information is available at facebook.com/events/2708917962815472.
Activities at Haines Park, 613 Third Ave. S.E., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 4 will include a free ice cream social and inflatables, a foam party, open splash pad, food trucks and local vendors. More information is available at facebook.com/events/855716584217054.
Ames
Discover Ames’ fireworks will be launched near Jack Trice Stadium, 1732 Jack Trice Wy., at 10 p.m. July 3.
Ames Main Street’s Fourth of July parade will begin at 11 a.m. July 4 in downtown Ames.
Ankeny
The City of Ankeny does not host July 4 events because it partners with the Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce for SummerFest July 10 to July 12 at the District at Prairie Trail, 1500 S.W. Main Street.
This year’s SummerFest theme is “Jingle in July!” with “twinkling lights, snowmen, gingerbread friends, candy canes, and festive fun around every corner,” according to a news release from the Chamber.
The SummerFest carnival opens July 9.
SummerFest’s parade will be at 9 a.m. July 11 and will showcase local businesses in holiday decor. A new event July 11 is an all-ages community lip sync contest on the big stage.
Fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. July 12.
Information about food vendors, live music, activities and more is available at ankenysummerfest.com/.
Carlisle
Carlisle’s two days of festivities will begin at 5 p.m. July 3 with a kiddie parade, inflatables, games, food vendors and other activities at North Park, 725 N. First St.
July 4 will begin with a community pancake breakfast, followed by the annual parade at 9:30 a.m. The band AFTERSHOCK will perform at 7 p.m. Activities will conclude with fireworks at 10 p.m.
Des Moines
The annual Yankee Doodle Pops will take place at 8:30 p.m. July 3 at the Iowa State Capitol, 1007 East Grand Ave.
The free, family-friendly concert features the Des Moines Symphony performing patriotic favorites on the Iowa State Capitol lawn and concludes with fireworks over downtown Des Moines.
Retired television journalist Harry Smith will join the orchestra this year to narrate composer Aaron Copeland’s “Lincoln Portrait” and the newly commissioned “American Mosaic,” a 32-minute multimedia experience by Peter Boyer and photographer and video artist Joe Sohm.
“American Mosaic” blends orchestral music, spoken narration and video from all 50 states to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary. It premiered in February at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It has also been performed in Cincinnati; Williamsburg and Yorktown, Virginia; and Costa Mesa, California. More information is available at visionsofamerica.com/american-mosaic.
Yankee Doodle Pops will also feature Billy “B.Well” Weathers performing his spoken-word piece “My, My, My,” and a concert prelude performance by the Weary Ramblers. The Des Moines Choral Society will perform songs, including the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with the orchestra performing favorites such as “1812 Overture” and “Stars & Stripes Forever.”
Food will be available for purchase. More information is available at dmsymphony.org.
Knoxville
The city of Knoxville will hold a 5K race at 8 a.m. on July 4 near city hall and will have fireworks after the races at Knoxville Raceway, according to Brian Hatch, Knoxville’s mayor. Hatch said the races are scheduled to start at 6:45 p.m.
Newton
Fireworks in Newton on July 4 will begin at dusk at Agnes Patterson Memorial Park, 3000 N. Fourth Ave. E. Activities at the park will begin at 5 p.m. with inflatables, a DJ, a free-throw contest and food trucks.
The Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce’s parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. in downtown Newton, with the Downtown Vendor Market opening at 7:30 a.m.
Pella
The City of Pella’s fireworks display will be held at 10 p.m. July 4. City officials recommend watching from West Market or Brinkhoff parks because Central College property will be closed for the show. The fireworks will be launched from the west end of the campus, north of a soccer field on a private road.
The city’s July Fourth parade will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The parade will start at the intersection of E. Second and Franklin streets, go past Central Park and end at the intersection of Main and Union streets.
Other activities include wagon tours by Pella Historical Museums and Pella Preservation Trust, fishing at Caldwell Park with poles and bait provided, and arts and crafts in Central Park by the Pella Community Art Center.
More information is available at cityofpella.com/IndependenceDay.
Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill does not have a July 4 event in order to avoid competition with the rest of the Des Moines metro. However, the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce’s Summer Fest on July 24-25 will include fireworks after 9 p.m. on July 24.
More information is available at pleasanthillchamber.org/news-events/chamber-events/summer-fest.html.
Urbandale
Urbandale’s multi-day celebration will culminate with fireworks launched at 10 p.m. July 4 from the west side of Walker Johnston Park, 9000 Douglas Ave. Parking lots at area businesses will be available, and Douglas Avenue will be open during the fireworks show.
The rain date for fireworks is 10 p.m. July 5.
The parade will start at 10 a.m. and begin at Old City Hall on 70th Street, go north to Aurora Avenue and then finish at the intersection of Northwest Aurora and 82nd Street.
Other activities scheduled from July 2 to July 4 include the William Courtney 5K Fun Run, a carnival, a bags tournament and free kids events. More information is available at urbandale4thofjuly.org/events/.
Waukee
Waukee will hold a two-day Fourth of July celebration at Centennial Park, 1255 Warrior Lane, beginning July 3. The event will include a kids market, yard games, inflatables, food vendors and a variety of contests and tournaments.
The parade will start at 10:30 a.m. July 4 and will proceed north on LA Grant Parkway from Southeast Westown Parkway to Centennial Park.
Fireworks will cap off the celebration at 9:30 p.m. July 4 at the park.
The event schedule, as well as information about the parade route and road closures, is available at waukee.org/777/Independence-Day-Celebration.
West Des Moines
The City of West Des Moines will hold fireworks at 9:45 p.m. July 4 at Jordan Creek Town Center, 101 Jordan Creek Pkwy. A free concert will start at 5 p.m.
The city has moved fireworks from the lake near City Hall and the library at West Des Moines’ city campus to provide more space for visitors, according to a news release.
On July 3, road closures will start at 4:30 p.m. for a parade from Valley High School to Valley Junction. The route will take the parade east and south from Valley West Drive and Ashworth Road to Vine Street, Fourth Street and Maple Street. Parade line-up will begin at 5:15 p.m.
Activities the night of July 3 at the West Des Moines city campus will include a community band concert at 7 p.m., “The Feel Right” concert at 8 p.m. and then the “Drone Show Spectacular” at 9:30 p.m. sponsored by Microsoft and the West Des Moines Community Foundation.
More information about the city’s Fourth of July activities is available at wdm.iowa.gov/government/parks-recreation/activities-programs/featured-programs/independence-day-celebrations.
Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at PSitter@usatodayco.com. Find out more about him online in the Register’s staff directory.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Your guide to celebrating Fourth of July in the Des Moines metro
Reporting by Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
