A great night for the community
Vandalia Plans Annual Star Spangled Celebration
Nothing brings a community together like an old-fashioned American fireworks display to mark Independence Day. The city of Vandalia is no exception and has made their Star Spangled Celebration a well-attended annual event. This year’s extravaganza will be held on July 3 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Sports Complex, 1111 Stonequarry Road. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public. The Gazette recently spoke with Rich Hopkins, Vandalia’s Communications Manager, about what to expect this year. In addition to fireworks and live music, the city has planned a full program. “We’ll have maybe a dozen or so vendors offering a variety of food and beverages, from sandwiches to pizza, ice cream and popcorn. We have many civic organizations that set up food booths, too, like the Lions Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Kiwanis. It’s not a sit-down dinner, but there’s a wide representation of food available. The response to the festival has always been good, but if you don’t get to the Sports Complex by 8 or 8:30 p.m., it’s hard to find a parking space, and you end up parking in the surrounding neighborhoods and walking in.”
Music for this year’s event will be courtesy of a popular local band, The Blue Leaf’s. The four-piece rock band revives the sounds of the 60s, 70s, and 80s for modern audiences. Their brand of “Throwback Rock ‘n Roll” has been described as a marriage of artists like Queen, Billy Joel, and the Beatles in a showcase of the classic rock sound.
“I think this is probably the third time we’ve had them here,” Hopkins said. “They like playing close to home, and they’re always excited when they can come back to the celebration. For an event like this, you want music that’s familiar and nostalgic.” Prior to the concert, there are other things planned to keep people entertained. “The actual grounds will be open and accepting folks starting at 6:00 p.m.,” Hopkins said. “From 6 to 9 p.m., we’re having what we call our Patriotic Play area. That’s another set of vendors that will set up on the east side of the sports complex. It’s all family-friendly activities sponsored by church groups and civic organizations. Last year we had face painting, a variety of games, cornhole, goat cuddling, and things a kid would find entertaining. At 7:00 p.m., The Blue Leaf’s will start to play until about 8:30 p.m., then take a break until 9:00, and play their second set until 10:00 p.m.” The band’s finale signals the start of the bewitching hour, when Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks takes over. Their fireworks show runs about 20 to 25 minutes and will be accompanied by pre-recorded music. Hopkins pointed out that doing an event of this magnitude is a team effort between multiple city departments.
“We have a lot of support from our Parks & Recreation Department. They do the lion’s share of work in lining up the vendors, play area activities, and contracting with the band. It’s a big job and they start pretty early in the year. For the City Manager’s office, there’s not a whole lot to do. If you were starting it from scratch, it would be a big job. But the fact that it’s been going on for at least the past 20 years I’ve been here makes it a bit easier. You add little things to it each year.
“The way that this event is funded, I think is unique, certainly for the municipality we have here. We were fortunate to get a lot of local sponsors who put together enough money to get the event going. What we have left after the fireworks show and expenses, we split between the City of Vandalia and Butler Township. It’s unique because in some municipal situations like this, sometimes you play nice, sometimes you don’t. I think that says something about us that we’re able to put this on every year and share it between the township and the city and the schools. We are one big community and regardless of the boundaries between city and township, we manage to come together and work together.”
Hopkins will once again be serving as the master of ceremonies, a job he has held for the past 20 years. He keeps the idea of community togetherness foremost when it comes to hosting the Star Spangled Celebration. “On a purely selfish note, my birthday is on July 4th, so I like to think the fireworks are for me. But I never lose sight of this being a family fun event, where you can come out, get something good to eat, listen to some good music, bring your own chairs or blanket, and have fun watching the fireworks. I can walk the grounds that night and run into 50 people I know, and that’s a good feeling. This is a super positive family-centered event. It’s just a great night for the community.”
The Vandalia Star Spangled Celebration will take place on July 3, beginning at 6:00 p.m., at the Sports Complex, 1111 Stonequarry Road. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Parks and Recreation webpage at vandaliaohio.org, or their Facebook page.
