Several area communities have many festivities planned to celebrate Independence Day on Wednesday.
BELLE CENTER
7:00-11:00am Pancake breakfast (Richland Township Fire Station)
10:00am Volleyball (for info, call Matt Miller 937-407-3204)
11:00am Parade lineup
12:00pm Parade
1:00-2:00pm Cornhole registration (for info, call Steve Plikerd 937-441-1692 50 team limit)
1:00-2:00pm Kids Tractor Pull registration
2:00-7:30pm Entertainment at the shelter house (2:00 Sandy Evans, 3:00 Tri-Jesus, 4:00 Jeremy Liles, 5:00 Jeff Newland, “Belle Center has talent between acts)
2:00pm Cornhole
2:00pm Kids Tractor Pull
6:00pm WAR wrestling - Belle Center Brawl #3 (Memorial building)
7:30pm Dance Fuzion (shelter house)
8:00-10:00pm Elvis
Dusk – fireworks
*Many different food items will be available from vendors, Lawn chairs are recommended. Golf carts are not permitted in Richland Township Park.
RUSHSYLVANIA
The Village of Rushsylvania, in conjunction with the Rushsylvania Lions Club, Rushcreek Fire & EMS, and the Rushsylvania Ball Association, has planned numerous events and activities on Wednesday for the entire family. Everyone is encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Activities downtown include:
• Pancake and Sausage Breakfast by Rushcreek Fire & EMS at the fire house from 7 to 9 a.m.
• 4th of July Parade through downtown to the village park begins at noon (line up at 11 a.m.)
Activities at the Park include:
• Chicken Barbecue by Rushsylvania Lions Club from noon to 4 p.m.
• Tours of Fire Safety Trailer by Rushcreek Fire & EMS
• Bake Walk
• Silent Auction
• Flea Market
• Train Rides for Kids by Rushsylvania One Stop
• Kids Carnival Games by Harper Community Church from noon to 4 p.m.
• Corn Hole Tournament by Rushsylvania Lions Club at 2 p.m.
• “Gorgillians Island”, kids inflatable obstacle course, by Rushsylvania Church of Christ 3 to 8 p.m.
• Concession Stand by Rushsylvania Ball Association open 3 p.m. to dusk
• Dance Fuzion performance from 4 to 5 p.m.
• FREE concert by Nashville recording artist Britteny Jones from 4 to 8 p.m. sponsored by Rushsylvania Lions Club. (Britteny is a local gal from Bellefontaine.)
• 50/50 Raffle by Rushsylvania Lions Club
• Fireworks at dusk.
For more information contact Louise Norris, president, Rushsylvania Lions Club at 937-468-7213.
WEST MANSFIELD
West Mansfield will hold their annual Fourth of July parade on Wednesday starting at Veteran’s Park. Line up will begin at 10am with the parade running down Main Street and ending at the conservation club. Floats from local organizations as well as the ball teams and any other interested parties are welcome. Please contact Jen Frazier at 935-9124, Stacy Weiser at 935-1219, or Mary Fogle-Kise at 935-1219 to register your entries.
Union Banking will again sponsor the bicycle parade with judging at the end of the parade for the best “dressed up” bicycles. There will also be a BEST DRESSED PET judging, a first for this parade, to be held at the end of the parade at the club. Call the above contacts to register your bicycle or pet. Late entries will still be welcome.
Activities at the club will begin after the parade. A family softball tournament is being formed. Any “family” wishing to participate may contact the above numbers. Anyone who would like to “join” a family for the action may also call and register their name. Other activities at the club for the afternoon will include a cake walk, marshmallow shooting, corn hole, ring toss, dunk tank, water wars, and a first ever Toad Hop contest. Concessions will be available throughout the afternoon.
The Millcreek Milers will be hosting the 25th annual Firecracker 5000 road race on Wednesday morning. The event is sponsored by the Millcreek Church of Christ. This will be the final road race for the Millcreek Milers. To commemorate the silver anniversary of this event, special activities have been planned.
The race will begin at the West Mansfield Conservation Club, with registration beginning at 7:30 and the race at 8:30. The flat, out and back course begins and ends at the Conservation Club on the south end of the village and CR 142.
Awards will be given for first overall male and female runners along with first and second place age group winners.
Cost for the event is $18.00. Runners receive a T-shirt with registration. All proceeds from the race benefit the West Mansfield Conservation Club.
For more information or race forms, contact Mike Coder at 937-599-6663 or email at coderm@columbus.rr.com.
