We have just celebrated Flag Day, when we honor our flag, and Memorial Day, when we remember and honor the men and women who gave their lives to keep our country free.
Now we look forward to celebrating our nation's 240th birthday. Independence Day, the Fourth of July, is when we adopted the Declaration of Independence, which stated we were a new nation, the United States of America, no longer a British colony.
What are your family traditions? Our family celebrations always included homemade ice cream, corn on the cob and boysenberries. We would also go to Disneyland to see their spectacular fireworks.
Crestview offers wonderful opportunities for Independence Day celebrations.
For instance:
Lifepoint Church, 400 Ferdon Blvd. S., offers its annual celebration from 4-9 p.m. Sunday, July 3. There will be bounce houses and water slides for children, and food will be available for purchase. Entertainment will be provided by Jordan Feliz, a contemporary Christian singer/song-writer. Hollis Creek Revival, a rock band from Alabama, will also perform. This event is free, with the exception of food for purchase. Fireworks will be after dark, around 9 p.m.
The Crestview Centennial Independence Day Celebration is 2-9 p.m. Monday, July 4 at Twin Hills Park. It is sponsored by the Crestview Main Street Association, with the fireworks sponsored by the City of Crestview. There will be game booths along with vendors selling food, beverages, ice cream and snow cones. The fireworks program will begin after dark, sometime between 8:30 and 9 p.m. Parking at Twin Hills Park will be tight, so there will be offsite parking in alternative places, with transportation to and from Twin Hills Park.
Both of these celebrations offer wonderful family opportunities for fun right here in Crestview.
Plan now to attend one or both of these celebrations honoring our country's 240th birthday.
Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CROSE: 2 ways to celebrate our nation's birthday — and have fun