Freedom Festival adding activities
The city of LaFayette continues bringing more free community events to the area with its annual Independence Day celebration: Freedom Festival.
This year’s festival— on Friday, June 30 — will feature events throughout the day, including a hamburger eating contest, live music, an old timers baseball game, a free professional wrestling event and end with a traditional fireworks celebration.
The LaFayette Recreation Department, at 638 South Main St., once again hosts this outdoor event.
According to Parks & Recreations director Jason Shattuck, this year’s festival begins at 5 p.m. and already has attracted more than 30 vendors.
This event is the first since the highly successful Honeybee Festival, held June 3, that attracted well over 10,000 to downtown LaFayette
“We are continuing our strategic plan in creating more robust community events,” City Manager David Hamilton said.
Among the itsl attractions, the municpal pool will waive its normal $4-per-person charge and offer a “free swim” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the day of the festival
There will be a baseball game at 7 p.m. between “Old Timers”— those 40 or older — and members of LaFayette Middle School’s varsity basketball.
What’s new this year?
There are several additions to beef up the free entertainment for the 2017 Freedom Festival.
Jim Powell Presents Southern Legacy Wrestling in LaFayette will have a free wrestling event inside the gymnasium with a bell time of 7 p.m. It will be an
action packed card as the Georgia Heat, the AIWF World Tag Team Champions, will defend their titles against Son’s of Kaos. In the main event, LaFayette’s own Adam Jacobs will square off against former world tag team champion Francisco Ciatso. There will be several other matches. All are free.
Krystal’s in LaFayette will sponsor a hamburger eating contest. One winner will emerge out of the first 10 who register and will take home a trophy as the 2017 Freedom Festival Krystal’s eating champion.
Those daring to enter will need to register at 7 p.m. at the recreation center to take part in the 2-minute contest that begins at 8 p.m.
During the wrestling show’s intermission, one of its stars will take part in the eating contest, Powell said.
Also new are “Bubble Ball” soccer games from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Participants will slip into a bubble ball and take on their friends—bouncing off one another— in short intervals. This event is free for anyone at least 15 years old.
During the same 7-8 p.m. time frame, there will be a free cornhole tournament for the first 20 teams who sign up.
Live music
The local band Campbell Station will take the stage at 5:30 p.m. and another local band, Aunt Betty, will close the night out with a performance from 8:15 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The day’s entertainment concludes with a fireworks show set to patriotic music that is slated to begin at about 10 p.m. — after dark.
“We are excited to continue to host the Freedom Festival and have our community take part in it,” Shattuck said.’.