07/04/2018

U.S. Army to hold Oath of Enlistment Ceremony at 9 p.m.

The Noblesville Fourth of July Planning Committee has been working hard for several months to coordinate another fun and patriotic Fourth of July parade and fireworks festival. This year’s celebration will take place on tomorrow, July 4 and includes a mix of traditional activities with new experiences.

The parade sponsored by Logan Street Signs and Banners will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the corner of 16th Street and Harrison Street. This year’s theme is “Stars & Stripes Forever in Noblesville” and Noblesville West Middle School’s Ella Whistler and Jason Seaman will serve as grand marshals and lead the parade. The route will be 16th Street to Logan Street; Logan to Ninth Street; Ninth to Monument Street; and Monument to 16th Street. The parade will end with Guests of Honor – Noblesville West Middle School Nurse Megan Schlueter and Noblesville Police Officer Michael Steffen, who serves as the school resource officer – leading a group of NWMS students, teachers, parents and staff.

Immediately after the parade, the free Fireworks Festival, presented by IDI Composites, Inc., will take place on the grounds of Noblesville High School, 18111 Cumberland Road, from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be several activities for people of all ages.

The Kids Zone will feature balloon artists, face painters, carnival games and seven inflatables – three for younger children and another trio for older children. New this year are Hippo Chow Down (an inflatable Hungry, Hungry Hippos game for ages 5 and older) and a giant tricycle race course (ages 10 and up). Festival goers of all ages will enjoy music from DJ Jason Fritz and being artistic with Caravan Classes. At 7:05 p.m., the Belfry Theatre’s Apprentice Players will perform songs from their upcoming production of “Disney’s Camp Rock: The Musical” on the stage.

The Noblesville U.S. Army Recruiting Center has partnered with the city to provide a military presence at the festival. The Army will have soldiers, sports inflatables, an asset trailer, and other fun activities. At 9 p.m., the Army will take over the main stage to host its Oath of Enlistment Ceremony.

“The committee could not think of a more fitting scenario than watching a group of individuals take the oath to serve in the military before the July 4th fireworks begin. We believe this will be a unique experience, especially to those that have not witnessed the ceremony before,” planning committee co-chairman Robert Herrington said. “We are encouraging all veterans in our community to come to the stage to be recognized and greet the new soldiers once the ceremony is complete. We will provide ample time for spectators to return to their seats before the fireworks begin.”

The grand finale of the day will be the fireworks display presented by Terry Lee Hyundai. The fireworks will begin at approximately 10 p.m. and will be the exciting end to a fun celebration!

Guests are encouraged to share their memories of the parade, festival and fireworks on social media using #Noblesville4th. Also, a special Snapchat geofilter has been created for the Fireworks Festival on the school grounds. Commemorative 2018 Noblesville Fireworks Festival buttons ($1 for metal round buttons and $3 for LED blinking ones) will be sold at the Information Tent during the festival.

Please note that all activities and entertainment are free to attendees, thanks to the generous support of the event’s sponsors. More than a dozen food vendors will be at the festival or people may bring picnic dinners. Sparklers, fireworks, drones, alcohol and smoking are not allowed on school grounds.

If weather should cause any changes to the plans, updates will be provided on social media, the city website and to news outlets. For questions or additional details, visit www.NoblesvilleFireworksFestival.com.