Independence Day: “the annual celebration of nationhood”. July 4th brings excitement and celebration across our entire country. In our small towns we have many options for fireworks and fun in honor of the day the United States officially became its own nation. The annual 4th of July Celebration in Hopedale is approaching fast and you do not want to miss out. Here is what the small town has in store for the Fourth of July weekend.

The celebration will occur on July 3rd and 4th (Saturday and Sunday). The first big event of July 3rd is the Major Reid Nannen Memorial 5k. There is both the 5k run and a one-mile untimed run. The run honors U.S. Marine Major Reid Nannen, a Hopedale native. He passed away in service while training at TOPGUN NAS in Fallon, Nevada in 2014. Registration for the run closes on June 30th, there will be no race day registration. The 5k begins at 7:30 a.m.

Throughout the rest of the day on the 3rd there will be ball games. The kitchen, flea market, and carnival all open at 3 p.m. There will be a fish dinner at 5 p.m., which is also the time that the DoNut Stand opens! Finally, the last two exciting events of the night will be the kids tractor pull at 6 p.m. and K & R Country Entertainment at 7 p.m. K & R Country Entertainment is a band that will be performing.

K & R Country Entertainment performs classic and outlaw country music. Kelly VanDyke, Roger VanDyke, and Jimmy Birkey play the guitar and do vocals. Rick Tackett plays the bass guitar and Marty Davis plays the drums when available. Finally, Mark Martin controls the sound. On Facebook, the band has nothing but five-star reviews!

Beginning the day on July 4th will be the Irreverent Warriors Silkies Hike. The purpose of the hike is to “bring Veterans together using humor and camaraderie to improve mental health and prevent Veteran suicide.” The Hike goes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m and is for veterans only. A few recommended items for the event include: silkies and shirts, sunscreen, photo ID, cash, hydration, and more. More information on the event is on Eventbrite.

Car show registration also begins at 8 a.m. on July 4th, with the event beginning at 1 p.m. There will be a community church service in the park beginning at 10 a.m. To kick off the afternoon events, the parade will begin at 1 p.m. After that, at 2 p.m., the flea market, kitchen, DoNut Stand, Pop Stand, and carnival all open.

A chicken dinner will be served at 5 p.m. to begin the festivities of the night. At 7 p.m. there will be entertainment from Little Ryman Opry with Stephanie Foster-Cunningham and special guest, Eric Gordon. They are a local band that performs country music. They also have nothing but five-star reviews on Facebook!

Finally, to end the 4th of July celebration there will be a firework show at dusk. The firework show is always a very popular event for the community. It is a show you don’t want to miss! The Hopedale 4th of July Celebration is one of the longest running Independence Day celebrations in the state of Illinois. 

The Hopedale Lions Club coordinates the event, and 90 percent of the profits from the event go towards projects the Hopedale Lions Club is working on. The club was formed in 1971 and has been helpful to the community since. The profits are going to a great cause and the event is sure to be fun!