Food, music and fireworks on July 4
Jul. 2—Food, music and fireworks will highlight July 4 events in Sanford on Thursday.
The action will be going on at Kiwanis Family Park, 1800 Wicker St.
Sponsored by the city parks department, residents are invited to bring chairs, blankets and coolers.
A splash pad and recently-renovated playground will be open, and food trucks and vendors selling merchandise will be present.
No alcohol or smoking are allowed in the park.
Freedom Fest kicks off at 3 p.m. Activities range from face painting and cornhole to a "classic cruise-in" by Sanford Car News from 3 to 6 p.m.
Music will start at 4 p.m. with The Long Way playing and singing classic rock and blues, followed at 6 p.m. with country singer Paige King Johnson on a new performance stage that was recently built.
Fireworks will start no earlier than 9 p.m.
The event is free, and parking is available at Kiwanis Family Park (210 spaces) and along the road.
There are many places to park within a 10-minute walk, a release states. At some juncture Kiwanis will be at capacity with parking. Residents are advised to plan ahead and explore other options including areas connected by the park's greenway and carpooling.
Headliner
Johnson will headline the music event, which will also be the kickoff to the city's third Summer Concert Series.
Tuesday's Gone, a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band, was originally scheduled for the event, but cancelled for personal reasons. Johnson happened to be available as her July 4 event was cancelled.
"It was a mutual blessing for both the city and myself to have everything come together the way it has for July Fourth," said Johnson, who was originally slated to play in the mountains of North Carolina. "While it was unfortunate not only for us, but for the city of Sanford, it worked out great in the end and we get to bring our energy to Sanford."
Named as the state's first musical ambassador by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, Johnson can be found touring throughout the state promoting the values of farming.
"I grew up on a farm myself and saw first-hand just how vital that way of life was for the well-being of our communities," the Harnett County native said. "Being able to be a voice for the hardworking farmers and ranchers of North Carolina is truly an honor."
In 2019, Johnson released her debut single, "Water Down the Whiskey", which climbed to the No. 29 spot on Music Row Charts on radio. She followed that with a string of radio-charting singles including, "Just Like You," "Baby Don't" and "Famous Enough."
With the help of Country-legend Pam Tillis, Johnson created multiple videos that received airtime on Country Music Television (CMT), RFD-TV and Newsmax.