The Main Street Journal's Independence Day Community Schedule is your guide to parades, patriotic programs, festivals, live entertainment and fireworks celebrating America's 250th birthday across Warren County and the surrounding area.

  • The Viola Valley community will celebrate Independence Day with its 5th Annual Stars & Stripes Festival & Fireworks Show on Saturday, June 27. Food vendors and family activities begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by live music from Ninth Sun at 5 p.m. and The On the Road Again Show at 7 p.m. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display beginning around 9 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and enjoy an evening of food, music and patriotic fun with family and friends. Organizers will also raffle off a Henry Repeating Arms .22 Long Rifle, with the drawing taking place just before the fireworks. Raffle tickets are $10 each or 12 for $100, and the winner must be 18 or older and pass a background check. Proceeds benefit the Viola Valley Stars & Stripes Festival & Fireworks Show.
  • Centertown Recreational Park will host its 2026 Season Celebration on Thursday, July 2. Activities begin at 6 p.m. with the annual Youth League Team Basket Auction, followed immediately by the Youth League Season Awards presentation. The evening will conclude with a fireworks show at 9 p.m., presented by Mooretown Fireworks and sponsored by the City of Centertown. Concessions will be available during the event, and a limited number of 25th Anniversary shirts will be available for purchase. The celebration is open to the public.
  • The Town of Spencer will hold its Freedom Fest 250 event on Friday, July 3, at the Van Buren County Fairgrounds, located at 288 Spring St. in Spencer. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. and will include Splash Fest activities, food vendors and tours of the Heritage Museum. An opening ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m., featuring a concert by Cody McCarver. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display at 9 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
  • The Morrison Ruritan Club and City of Morrison will celebrate America's 250th birthday with their annual Independence Day Celebration on Friday, July 3, at the Morrison Ruritan Ballpark. Activities begin with baby show registration at 2 p.m., followed by opening ceremonies at 3 p.m. The afternoon and evening will feature kids' games, bingo, a cake walk, a cornhole tournament, live music by Ninth Sun, food concessions from 3-9 p.m., and family-friendly entertainment. The celebration will conclude with a 9 p.m. fireworks show. Admission is free, and the community is invited to enjoy an afternoon and evening of food, music and patriotic fun.
  • The 45th Annual Stars & Stripes Fun Run will kick off Main Street McMinnville's USA 250 Independence Day celebration on Saturday, July 4. Registration opens at 6:30 a.m., with the race beginning at 7:30 a.m. in downtown McMinnville. The race begins at 100 E. Main St. in downtown McMinnville and welcomes participants of all ages for a patriotic start to Independence Day.
  • McMinnville First United Methodist Church will host its annual Pancake Breakfast beginning at 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, as part of McMinnville's USA 250 celebration. The breakfast is one of the first events of the day and welcomes attendees before the downtown festivities get underway.
  • Residents are invited to help choose the winner of Main Street McMinnville's Downtown Window and Window Display Decorating Contest from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 4. Downtown businesses have been decorating their storefronts in red, white and blue in celebration of America's 250th birthday. Voting will take place at the Main Street McMinnville tent on Court Square, with the winning business receiving two tickets to the annual Farm to Table event.
  • McMinnville's USA 250 Patriotic Program begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 4, in downtown McMinnville. The ceremony will feature welcome remarks from Mayor Ryle Chastain, the Pledge of Allegiance led by Warren County Executive Terry Bell, the Presentation of Colors and a 21-gun salute by the American Legion, the National Anthem by the Silver and Gold Band, and a patriotic address from Warren County Historian Jimmy Haley.
  • The Junior Auxiliary of McMinnville will present its annual Yankee Doodle Parade at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, in downtown McMinnville. The free parade is open to children from birth through fifth grade. Participants are encouraged to decorate wagons, bicycles, scooters, strollers or themselves in patriotic fashion. Registration begins at 8:45 a.m., with lineup at 9:15 a.m. Prizes will be awarded in each age group, and group entries are welcome.
  • The McMinnville Fire Department will host its annual Watermelon Drop at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, as part of McMinnville's USA 250 Independence Day celebration in downtown McMinnville.
  • The Mr. and Miss Stars & Stripes Pageant begins at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, July 4, at the Park Theater during McMinnville's USA 250 celebration.
  • Main Street McMinnville will host a Time Capsule Ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, at the Main Street McMinnville tent on Court Square. The ceremony is part of the community's celebration of Independence Day and the nation's 250th anniversary. Community members may submit photographs, letters and other small items representing life in Warren County today through June 29 at the Chamber office, 110 S Court Square.
  • Main Street McMinnville will present its annual Bathtub Races beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, around the Court Square as part of the city's USA 250 Independence Day celebration. Registration and check-in begin at 11 a.m., and participation is free. Contestants must be 18 or older and race a homemade, non-motorized vehicle with four tires, a steering wheel and a rear push bar. Vehicles may be any shape but must display a team name or business logo. Each entry requires one driver and two or three pushers. The event promises a fun and creative competition for participants and spectators alike.
  • The City of McMinnville will host its annual fireworks show on Saturday, July 4 at the Milner Recreation Center with fireworks set to start at 9 p.m. The event traditionally features family-friendly activities, entertainment, food vendors before the fireworks display later in the evening. Additional details, including event times and a schedule of activities, are expected to be announced closer to Independence Day.
  • The Midway Community Improvement Club will host its annual Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, July 4, with a full day of family-friendly activities beginning at 11 a.m. The celebration includes a baby show, horseshoe and cornhole tournaments, live music by Zone Status, kids' games, softball games, food concessions, a waterslide for children, awards and a 10 p.m. fireworks show. Concessions will be available throughout the day until 9:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring towels for the waterslide, and no pets are allowed for the safety of all attendees. For more information, visit the Midway Softball Facebook page.
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