The Jones County/Gray Chamber of Commerce is holding its fourth annual Independence Day Extravaganza at the Morris Bank Recreation Complex Thursday, June 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to celebrate independence with the community.
Heather Johnson, the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, said she’s excited for the event. She said she can’t wait to see families come out and watch the fireworks again this year.
“This is our fourth annual Independence Day Extravaganza, and it’s at Morris Bank Recreation Complex. We partner with Jones County Parks and Recreation every year for this event,” she said. “We are going to have music, food trucks, bounce houses, water slides, inflatables, a blizzard eating contest, and of course the fireworks. It’s going to be great family fun.”
She said the money made from the blizzard eating contest will go to Toys for Tots in Jones County. She said they have lots of sponsors this year who are helping to put things together for the event.
“We are also having the Air Evac Lifeteam at the event, and they are going to fly in an Air Evac helicopter onto one of the fields around 6:30 p.m. They will be there until 8:30 p.m. for the kids to check out. They can actually get in it and see what it is all about,” Johnson said.
The director said the fireworks will start right around when it starts getting dark, which will be around 9:30 p.m. She said the Independence Day Extravaganza gets bigger each year the Chamber of Commerce holds it, and she feels it’s a great way for families to enjoy time together.
“Four years ago, before we started the Independence Day Extravaganza, so many people left our community to go see fireworks, and we want our community to stay here,” she said. “The families in Jones County should have an event for Independence Day, so we thought this was a good idea.”
Johnson said she’s enjoyed this event, because she’s watched it grow through the years and has seen how much people enjoy it. She said it’s great seeing the children having so much fun and watching everyone come together to celebrate Independence Day.
She said people look forward to the event every year.
“Here in the U.S. this is one of the biggest celebrations about us being free, and a way for us to appreciate what we do have,” she said. “People should come out to this event, because they can sit back and have a good time. They can just appreciate what we have here right in Jones County.”
