The celebration will include vendors selling food and drinks, live music, a disc jockey, skydiving performances and conclude with fireworks. Live entertainment will be provided by the I Love Pig Band from 6-7:30 p.m. and the Dayton Funk All-Stars Band from 8-9:30 p.m.
The evening will conclude with fireworks from Yokum and performances from Team Fastrax, the Middletown-based professional skydiving team.
This year’s July 4 parade theme is “Middletown through the Decades,” said Jeri Lewis, parade organizer. She said 15 floats have entered the parade that will include veteran groups, city leaders, dance groups, sports teams, cheerleaders, numerous car and Jeep clubs, music groups, churches, local businesses and civic organizations,
The floats will be judged in five categories: Fraternal, Neighborhood, Civic, Church and Best Overall, according to Lewis.
This year’s parade grand marshal is longtime Middletown historian Sam Ashworth, who has served on numerous boards and organizations.
“I can’t think of a better person to honor,” Lewis said. “He has done so much for Middletown all these years. It’s time Middletown honors him.”
Hamilton’s Independence Day festivities all take place on Monday, kicking off with the parade at 10 a.m. It steps off at the Butler County Fairgrounds, and the route will be about four blocks longer this year as it goes across the High-Main Bridge and ends on Main Street at F Street, making the parade a full 2 miles.
“The Patriotic Program” after the parade is at the Fitton Center, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. This event will feature Mayor Pat Moeller, as well as the Hamilton Concert Band and Queen City Sisters.
Also after the parade, or in some cases, during the parade, there will be official July 4th activities. People may visit the Butler County Soldiers, Sailors & Pioneers Monument, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. From 1 to 4 p.m., they can visit a historic log cabin or the Butler County Historical Society. Heritage Hall will be open from noon to 4 p.m.
Concerts at Hamilton’s RiversEdge amphitheater kick off at 7 p.m. with The Inturns, followed by That Arena Rock Show at 8:30 p.m. There will be food trucks at Marcum Park during the performances.
The city’s annual fireworks show, shot from Veterans Park on New London Road, starts at 10 p.m. The fireworks are visible from the river bike trail.
MORE INFO
Middletown: cityofmiddletown.org (click “news updates”)
Hamilton: hamiltonjuly4th.org
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