Thunder will present ‘real small-town Independence Day celebration’
Historic Downtown Millersburg will join the Holmes County Historical Society’s big bicentennial blowout bash during the annual Thunder Over Holmes County Saturday, June 29, where the giant fireworks show should be bigger and better than ever.
While Historic Downtown Millersburg is hustling and bustling most every day with a blossoming downtown area, it will take on a much bigger, grander scale Saturday, June 29 when Thunder Over Holmes County will provide some thunderous and colorful pizzazz.
HDM Executive Director Taylor Sigler is excited to present this year’s show because it will coincide with the bicentennial committee’s celebration, meaning there will be a whole of activities for both adults and children, plenty of food and, of course, a firework spectacular when the sun drops below the horizon to the west.
With plenty of elected officials both locally and statewide expected to be in attendance for the bicentennial celebration, Sigler said it will be a great chance to showcase HDM, Holmes County and the spirit of the people who make the community so special.
“It’s going to be a busy, busy day, but it’s also going to be exciting for us to put on a special event and show all of these elected officials how we do a real small-town Independence Day celebration,” Sigler said. “I’m excited to show our spirit here so they can experience what our community is all about.”
While the bicentennial celebration will focus on the adults, there will be a host of activities for the kids, making it an affair for the entire family.
There will be plenty of large bounce houses and inflatables, helping the kids burn off some excited energy while having a bouncy blast. The inflatables area will be led by members of the West Holmes FFA and will open around noon, which is also when the bicentennial grand parade will start marching down Jackson Street.
According to Sigler, the inflatables are being sponsored by Rodhe’s IGA, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary as a Holmes County staple.
“We are so grateful to Rodhe’s for their support, and we’re thrilled to be able to honor them, and we are also thankful for the West Holmes FFA crew, who will make sure all the kids stay safe,” Sigler said.
She added that there will also be several nonprofit tents set up, including United Way, which will host the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The Girl Scouts of Holmes County will have a table set up, and there also will be plenty of crafts available for the kids.
Also new to the event is the adult changing table that will come courtesy of the Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The changing area was purchased through a grant, and Sigler said the HDM is excited to welcome this new addition.
“It will be there for those with disabilities who might need help,” Sigler said. “We’re thrilled with the debut of this and, hopefully, it will invite families with members with special needs to feel good about coming to the activities. It’s a great addition.”
There will be plenty to eat, with the many downtown restaurants joined by food trucks, but the culmination will be at dark when the lights go down and the sky is lit with an array of many colors in a fireworks show that Sigler said should be something special.
“In teaming up with the bicentennial committee, we had a much larger budget this year for fireworks,” Sigler said. ‘It should be a spectacular show. It may not be this big every year, but at least for this year, it is going to be something special, and we appreciate the hard work of the bicentennial committee along with the county commissioners for making it all happen.”
It should be an exciting, event-filled day that families won’t want to miss as HDM celebrates Independence Day the small-town America way.