The Independence Day Extravaganza took place Thursday evening, where the community celebrated freedom with food, fun and fireworks.
Hailey Robinson, executive director of the Jones County/ Gray Chamber of Commerce, said she was very excited to be at the Independence Day Extravaganza. She said her favorite thing about the evening was seeing so many children and families having fun.
“We had our sixth annual Independence Day Extravaganza in collaboration with Jones County Parks and Recreation,” she said. “We had a variety of food trucks out, and we had a ton of activities for the kids to do. Tri-Co Go did an excellent job of making sure the kids were entertained for the evening. Laura Starling really set the vibe and kept the music going for everyone to have a great time.”
She said it was important for the Chamber of Commerce to host the event, because they are all about community and bettering the community.
She said the event allows the Chamber to help members and allows the members to invest back into the community and show everyone how dedicated they are to Jones County residents.
“People should come out to this event to have a good time, and to show support for the businesses who have chosen to allocate their funds for our awesome community events. The businesses choose to invest in something they can be proud of like this. This is a family friendly, relaxed event for everyone,” Robinson said.
The director said she was grateful for local law enforcement and first responders to be on the scene to help make sure things went smoothly. She said they could not have put the event together without all parties involved.
“We were glad to see everyone out, and the weather ended up perfect. Everyone looked like they were having a great time.
There were frisbees and beach balls flying everywhere, and it’s just so wonderful to see an entire community come together like this to celebrate our independence,” she said.
Robinson said people look forward to the fireworks each year, because they symbolize America.
She said the event and the fireworks helps embrace America’s freedom.
“The Independence Day Extravaganza is a great way to celebrate and be proud of the things we have. Being able to come together as a community and have the freedom to do so is the core of America,” she said. “This is something important to celebrate. I think it’s important for people to celebrate every year in some form and remind themselves how blessed we are here.”
