Freedom Fest returns with bigger, better fireworks
By Melissa Rollins, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
Independence Day fun returns to the Darlington Raceway July 1 with the annual Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce Freedom Fest.
Chamber Director Norm Steadman said that the event is better than ever.
“We are bringing back all of the great stuff we had last year,” Steadman said. “We’re bringing back the Ferris Wheel, the kid’s rides, cruise-in car show. We’ve got great live entertainment. The headline is Johnny Glenn and the Chaser who plays a fantastic set. He’s got a wide-range of genres that he plays so that will be really good.”
Steadman said that anyone who enters the car show gets the chance to take their car around the Track Too Tough To Tame.
“Everyone who participates in the car show gets to take their car around the track, which is really attractive,” Steadman said. “It is cool for anyone who is in to classic cars or muscle cars or anything like that because it is like a parade of cool cars.”
A cornhole tournament will take place during the event. After a winner is named, the cornhole area will be open for free play.
The outdoor festival offers some yummy foods and unique treats.
“We’ve got some really interesting stuff coming in for food vendors,” Steadman said. “We’ll have the stuff you expect like funnel cake and hot dogs but we’ll also some more state fair kind of stuff like fried Oreos.”
Another added component will be the chance to support local organizations that will have their own food tables.
“Several local non-profits and education groups here are participating this year which we are really excited about,” Steadman said. “Last year it was mostly professional food vendors but this year it is a split. We’ve got the professional food vendors and then we have groups like the Darlington High School Band who will be doing fried fish for new uniforms. People can support local groups by coming out to Freedom Fest and getting some food, which we are hoping everyone will do anyway.”
Local artisans will also have their wares available for purchase.
The big draw, as with any Independence Day celebration, will be the fireworks show that will close the event.
“Just like last year we are going to have a big fireworks show,” Steadman said. “We tweaked the show from last year and we are going to have a little more of a choreographed show this year. It is going to be more dense and awesome with multiple shells going off at once. We are excited about that and we think people will be kind of blown away by it.”
Steadman said that while local law enforcement will be helping with traffic, he does expect some congestion between 9 and 10 p.m. and does recommend that anyone not coming to the event try and find an alternate route during that hour.