Rural celebrations bring communities together
In the shadow of Red, White & Boom, which drew hundreds of thousands to downtown Columbus on Wednesday, are smalltown fireworks set off in village parks.
While they might not be as spectacular as in the big cities, organizers say they achieve something much more powerful: drawing an entire community together.
“For me, watching the young children watch the fireworks and enjoy the parade” is the best part, said Robert Harper Jr., past president of the West Jefferson Streetfest.
Streetfest, in the Madison County village of 4,222 people, is a three-day celebration, with a parade at 11 a.m. Independence Day and ending with a fireworks display. The village’s downtown is taken over by the Streetfest, with rides and food stands lining Pearl and Center streets.streetfest wasn’t always the spectacle it is today. At one point it almost ceased to exist. After the president of the Streetfest committee became ill in 2003, the committee considered canceling the festival.
Harper, working with VFW Post 7005, hastily put together a fair using an emergency meeting to authorize the buying of fireworks by the VFW. In total, Harper said, Streetfest costs about $25,000, with $12,500 going toward the fireworks display.
Fourth of July celebrations in Ashville bring the Pickaway County communityof 4,097 people together. The celebration, which started Sunday and ends with a fireworks display on July Fourth, serves as a fundraiser for the Ashville Men’s Club, which is a local club that holds community events throughout the year. “I was born and raised in this community,” said Bill Welsh, a member of the men’s club who has served as its president. “If you’ve got any community pride, you should give back,” he said. “This was a good way to give back and really help the community.”
This is the 90th annual Fourth of July celebration in Ashville, but according to Welsh, the celebration’s roots go back to the early 1900s.
The affair takes place in the Ashville Community Park and features the usual fair offerings. But the biggest draw is the fish stand, in a small building near the center of the park.
“We go through 3,000 pounds of fish, which is down from years ago when we were the only food vendor,” Welsh said.
While these smaller celebrations might lack the allure of a big city, they serve as a place for their communities to come together to celebrate a national holiday. Plus, the fireworks aren’t bad either.