Oxford to Celebrate Independence Day Friday to Monday, July 1 to July 4

Graphic from Facebook

With America celebrating its independence from Great Britain this weekend, Oxford will host many events to commemorate the occasion.

Starting tonight, July 1, the Leap Frog organization will host its Firecracker Bash at 7:30 p.m. at The Lyric which will feature a silent auction and bottomless beer cups by Yalobusha Brewery. Tickets can be bought at the door for $25.

Tomorrow night on July 2, there will be a community dance that takes place at the Community Pavilion (previously Old Armory) just off University Avenue. The dance will follow the Oxford Community Market and is presented by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.

Monday, July 4, is the big day as there are events planned all throughout the day for the Lafayette-Oxford-University residents, thanks to the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce.

“This year, the 4th falls on a Monday, which is a little unusual for our line up of events,” said L.O.U. Fourth of July chair Meredith Rawl. Rawl is from local agency Family Crisis Services of Northwest Mississippi, Inc.

On Monday the action starts early as the Stars and Stripes 5K benefiting the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society begins at 7:30 a.m. At 9:30 a.m. there will be a children’s parade on the Square. From 4:00 p.m. until nightfall in the Grove, the children can enjoy a petting zoo, train rides, bounce houses, face painting and balloon art all sponsored by Your Extra Closet. There will also be live music and food vendors in the Grove.

At 6:30 p.m. there will be an Independence Day Ceremony in the Grove honoring those involved with the U.S. military.

“We will have a welcome from the faces of the Lafayette Oxford University (L.O.U.) community, featuring Chancellor Vitter, Mayor Patterson, Superintendent Busby, as well as Ryan Miller, the President of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce,” Rawl said. “The Oxford Police Honor Guard will present the colors, and James “Jim” Petermann, with Civil Air Patrol, a veteran of service in Iraq, will take a moment to speak about his experience in the service as well as thank those among us who continue their commitment to the nation.”

Former Rebel pitcher and MLB draft pick Brady Bramlett will sing the national anthem at the ceremony.

After the ceremony there will be a fireworks show at Oxford-University Stadium. The show will begin at 9:00 p.m. and the gates will open at 7:30 p.m. The firework show is made possible by Oiln-Winchester, and according to Rawl the perimeter has been marked for safety.

What are you most excited about for this weekend? Let us know below.

Collin Brister is a staff writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at collin.brister@hottytoddy.com.

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