The comets, chrysanthemums and waterfalls are coming back to the skies over Greenwood this weekend.
Ooohs and ahhhs will be on everyone’s lips when fireworks light up the night at this year’s Freedom Festival. Prior to the pyrotechnics, line the streets for the traditional parade, then gather in Craig Park for music by Tastes Like Chicken and Jambox.
And as the sun sets, pay homage to the men and women who make our freedom possible during the Honor Our Heroes ceremony.
“We wanted to keep the heart of the event, the Honoring the Heroes especially, and then everyone loves the fireworks” Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers said. “We’re going to be able to pull those off, and some of the other things that people look forward to.”
Summer feels normal again in Greenwood with the return of the Freedom Festival following a one-year hiatus in 2020. Though organizers have planned a smaller event than in past years, the heart of the festival will remain the same.
And once again, the community can celebrate one of Greenwood’s more endearing traditions together, Myers said.
“I think it’s going to be a great event for the city — people are wanting to get back outside, wanting to socialize again,” he said. “We’re doing it in a manner that’s safe and secure, but that’s still going to allow everyone to get out and have a good time.”
Like most events in 2020, the Freedom Festival was canceled out of safety concerns surrounding the pandemic. But organizers wanted to find any way possible to do the celebration this summer, even if certain aspects had to be changed, Myers said.
When planning started months ago, it was unknown what the situation would be, and how impactful vaccinations efforts had been.
“We were still under all of the regulations of the pandemic. We didn’t know where we would be right now, and so, we wanted to be very cautious in our planning and how we were going to do it,” Myers said.
So organizers opted for a modified festival that included the main attractions people get most excited about. Everything starts at 4 p.m., with the traditional parade. High school marching bands, police and fire departments, and civic organizations will make a loop around the Old Town area of Greenwood.
The route has been shortened from past years, starting on Surina Way near the Greenwood Public Library, then traveling north on Meridian Street, down Broadway Street before turning south on Madison Avenue, jogging onto Main Street and finishing on Market Plaza.
“It’s a shorter version; we limited the number of entries into it. But we still want to make sure we have those core groups involved and keep it going on,” Myers said.
When the parade concludes, the party moves to the newly created event lawn at Craig Park. A stage will be set up at the south end of Washington Street, with ample space for people to spread out and enjoy music, first from renowned pop-rock party band Tastes Like Chicken, and then by the hard-rock sounds of Jambox.
A limited number of vendors have been invited to set up their booths near the event lawn, and a beer and wine area will provide adult refreshments to the 21-and-over crowd.
The Freedom Festival stages its most poignant feature just as dusk falls. Honor Our Heroes, presented by Grace Assembly of God, is a one-hour ceremony to show respect and gratitude for active military personnel and veterans, law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and medical professionals.
Grace Assembly of God has been hosting the event since 2002 as a way to say thank you to those who serve our community and our country, Pastor Wayne Murray said. After holding it on the church property for several years, they partnered with Greenwood organizers to bring it to the Freedom Festival.
“It’s important for us as individuals and as a community to come together to show appreciation for those who serve us. This year in particular, we have much to be grateful for,” Murray said.
Then, as the sun finally dips below the horizon and darkness falls over the park, the big booms come out. Festival-goers will be treated to a cacophony of blasts and dazzling light shows as the fireworks illuminate the evening.
“It’s going to be a time of healing and getting people back together again,” Myers said.
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Greenwood Freedom Festival
When: 4 p.m. to dark Saturday
Where: Craig Park, Old Town Greenwood
Schedule
- 4 p.m.: Parade — route starts on Surina Way, goes east to Meridian Street, north to Broadway Street, west to Madison Avenue, south to Main Street, west to Market Plaza, and then back to Madison Avenue.
- 5:15 p.m.: Tastes Like Chicken at the event lawn at Craig Park
- 7:15 p.m.: Jambox at the event lawn
- 9:15 p.m.: Honor Our Heroes
- 10:15 p.m.: Musical fireworks
Information: greenwood.in.gov
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