Uniontown sets July 4th festival
UNIONTOWN -- A long-standing community Fourth of July celebration is returning for a sixth year.
The popular annual event, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 3, at the Uniontown City Park, includes food and refreshments, games and activities for youth, and concludes with a nighttime fireworks display that typically lasts more than half an hour. Union State Bank sponsors the event each year.
The celebration features free food, a variety of inflatable attractions and youth activities. Several vendors are expected to be available selling various beverages, sundaes and other treats.
Event organizer Kenny Holt, president of Union State Bank, said the festival has grown each year since it was created in 2006 by a small group of people looking to raise money for improvements to the city park.
"It's gotten a little bigger every year," he said. "We usually get around 500 (people). Some people just come for the fireworks. It's a nice crowd."
Since 2009, the event has become more of a community-wide celebration than a fundraiser because the park renovation project is mostly complete, although organizers will still accept donations for future park upgrades.
"Most of the park has been done," Holt said. "This year, we will accept free-will donations that will go to the park fund to buy some more benches for the park. We're just trying to keep it up to date and add a little bit here and there where we can."
Holt said the bank sponsors the event to show appreciation to its customers and the community.
"We get a lot of help doing it from people in the community -- it's not just the bank," he said.
Until 2009, part of the event's purpose was to raise money for the Uniontown Park Improvement Fund that helped pay for several improvements and renovation projects. Money raised has helped fund new curbs, gutters, trees and sidewalks, new playground equipment, a new gazebo and bandstand, new shelter houses, a flagpole, new limestone fence posts, and a stone veterans memorial, among other items.
Money to help fund projects was generated through several fundraisers, grants and donations. The city of Uniontown, Bourbon County, and many local volunteers provided assistance in completing the projects.
Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Local volunteers handle and supervise the fireworks display that culminates the celebration every year.