July 7 will be a chance to have a great time in Columbia, but it will also be an opportunity for Columbia to show others what it has going on.
From a humble beginning of seven cars at the monthly Columbia Gearheads Main Street Cruise-In, it has grown. Last year, the July event exploded with a force larger than all of the fireworks. Organizers weren’t sure what to expect and boom! More than 150 cars showed up along with thousands of people, all of whom enjoyed the cool vehicles, food, vendors and fireworks.
This year, organizers are building on that foundation. Freedom Fest, as it’s now being called, is as they say here in the South, fixin’ to be hotter than the Fourth of July. By the time things get rolling officially around 2 p.m., nearly 100 booths and vendors will be set up. The number was up to 87 the last I’d heard earlier this week. Add in several stages full of local entertainment, including the popular band Bullet Proof, which will play around 6 p.m. downtown.
There will be a watermelon eating contest, seed spitting, kids games and food … lots of food, including a barbecue cook-off that should line Second Street from Main Street to City Hall with competitors. Of course, there will be cars, trucks and motorcycles, tons of vehicles. Maybe if the weather is good, we’ll top 200 along Main Street. It will be an amazing sight as last year’s was.
Oh, and just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, there will be a fireworks display. It’s supposed to be a really good one, too, thanks to the generous donations of several area businesses.
You see, this whole thing wouldn’t happen without dedicated volunteers and sponsors who are willing to step up to make a great event in Columbia.
Here’s the cool thing — Freedom Fest isn’t just for those of us here in Marion County. Hopefully people from outside the area will come to join us as we celebrate our nation’s birthday.
It is Columbia and Marion County’s chance to show off our corner of the world. So many people here knock the small town life and sometimes get down on our little town and county, but it’s really a pretty good place to live.
You never know who might be in the crowd and take a liking to what they see. Could the next new Main Street business owner be walking among us? How about someone looking to locate a new factory in our industrial park? Will one of the barbecue competitors take a leap of faith and open a restaurant here? You never know.
That’s why it’s important to put our best face forward as we have fun at Freedom Fest. Great things are happening in Columbia. Sure, it’s taking time, but we as a community are making progress.
You bet I’ll have lots of smiles, hugs and handshakes as I greet visitors and friends alike downtown next Saturday. I encourage you to do the same. You’ll have a good time and you might meet someone who wants to give our community a try. Maybe there is someone who will buy that empty house near you and fix it up or someone who will invest in a business in our community.
So let’s put our best foot forward next week. Pick up litter if you see it, or give someone a hand cleaning up a property. Let’s enjoy Freedom Fest and show off our community.
Reach Managing Editor Mark Rogers at news@columbianprogress.com.
