State College celebrated Independence Day on Friday with a day of festivities and community organized by Central Pennsylvania 4th Fest, a nonprofit organization that hosts the town’s annual Fourth of July festivities.
Celesta Powell, the executive director of Central PA 4th Fest, said this is an event by the community, for the community.
“This is an event that is only as big as the community allows us to be,” Powell said. “There have always been fireworks present in our community for about 100 years, and the last 35 of them have been this festival taking its turn doing it.”
Friday’s celebrations began with the Firecracker 4K run-walk around Penn State’s campus, followed by the Independence Day parade through downtown State College.
Nittany Highland Pipe Band, a bagpipe and drum band based in State College who performed in a variety of parades and festivals throughout the year, also made an appearance at Friday’s parade.
“This is our hometown,” Andy Richards, a bass drummer for the band, said. “We’re out here to support (it) and be a part of the Fourth of July celebration.”
The afternoon contained a variety of festivities around Beaver Stadium. There was food, games, live music and live entertainment, including a car show, a lumber demonstration, a community baseball game and a BMX stunt show.
The League of Women Voters of Centre County (LWVCC) walked in the parade and had a vendor stand by the stadium. LWVCC is an organization dedicated to encouraging people to vote in elections.
“If we think about what the founding fathers said about our country – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Alli Schroeder, a member of the LWVCC, said. “I think everybody should have that, and we’re at a point in time where that’s maybe a little unclear. So, I’d love to see that for everybody in this country.”
In the evening, event volunteers served a giant American flag cake to festival attendees, in honor of the United States’ birthday.
Powell said her dad served in the Vietnam War, so the Fourth of July was very meaningful growing up.
“It was a really big family day,” Powell said. “It was a really big day to have a party and celebrate the fact that they were here, the fact that they went (to the war) whether they wanted to or not, and the fact that we live in a country (where) you can agree, you can disagree, you can vehemently disagree, and you’re okay to do that.”
After the sun set, the day concluded with a fireworks display over Medlar Field.
“When you watch the crowd watch the fireworks, it is the coolest thing,” Powell said. “Whether they are 85 years old, whether they’re 10 years old, the smile and the kind of pure enjoyment … that’s my favorite part.”
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