By AAH Jack Quirk
Planning a community celebration is never easy, especially when it’s a patriotic event celebrating America’s 250th birthday. Months of planning went into Hennessey’s Freedom Fest, and organizers had plenty of tough decisions to make, including the biggest one of all, what day to hold it.
Several factors led to the decision to celebrate on Thursday, July 2. Fireworks contractors are in high demand on the Fourth of July, larger communities across the region host competing events that day, and many Hennessey families traditionally head out of town for the holiday weekend.
Not everyone agreed with the date. A few predicted the event would be a flop simply because it wasn’t held on July 4. As it turns out… they couldn’t have been more wrong.
By every measure, this was one of the largest community celebrations Hennessey has seen in years. From the time the festivities began until the final firework, the event was packed with families enjoying an evening of food, fun and hometown pride.
Vendor booths stayed busy all evening with long lines of people shopping, visiting and supporting local businesses.
The Hennessey Lions Club kept everyone well fed with free hot dogs, 4Ts Family Market handed out free watermelon, and Cimarron Electric helped everyone beat the heat by providing free bottled water.
The giant inflatable water attractions were an instant hit with the kids, and the hot dog eating contest drew a crowd that proved watching someone eat far too many hot dogs is apparently a true American pastime. (We’ll have more on that contest in a separate story.)
Little cowboys and cowgirls enjoyed pony rides and the clowns were a hit. Liberty Lift’s crane proudly displayed a giant American flag high above the event and The Hennessey Lions Club also lined Mitchell Road with American flags, creating a patriotic entrance to the celebration.
The evening concluded with a spectacular fireworks display choreographed to patriotic music, providing a fitting finale to an unforgettable night.
Events like this don’t happen by accident. They require months of planning, dozens of volunteers and a community willing to come together.
A big thank you goes to the Town of Hennessey, Shelley Burch, the many volunteers, sponsors, vendors and everyone who helped make this year’s Freedom Fest such an overwhelming success.
If this year’s celebration is any indication, Hennessey has started a new Independence Day tradition that’s here to stay. Photos by AAH Angie Bruner and Jack Quirk
About The Author
