What is happening on the Fourth of July in Hastings and the surrounding area? It is a good bet that there will be a lot of celebrating this great country’s independence with friends and family! But aside from that obvious assumption, what is actually happening in the area?
The standard closure of local, state and federal offices, banks, post offices, etcetera, is commonplace and should not be a surprise to anyone. Many Hastings businesses are open but may have reduced services or different hours than normal, so check with your favorite establishment before you plan on using their services on the fourth.
July 3
Treasure Island always has wonderful fireworks display above the casino. Understand there is significant construction going on as you enter the island. The normal frontage road to the power plant and the area around that road, including the area around the public safety building is under construction. A lot of viewers use that space as parking to allow a quick exit post fireworks. Another thing to watch for is flooding. The Mississippi is estimated to crest by this weekend, but if that crest manages to get over the roads both leading to Treasure Island and at the island itself, that could cause even more issues for access and parking.
July 4
A large celebration is planned at Hastings Golf Club, including the Fourth of July parade they started two years ago. The first two parades were a huge success, so much so, that after the inaugural parade, they needed to extend the route several blocks for year two.
The parade starts at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church at 15th Street West and General Sieben Drive and proceeds east on 15th Street West to Westview Drive where the parade turns south for a few more blocks to the parking lot of Hastings Golf Club. The parade starts at 7:00 p.m. and last years parade took about 40 minutes from start to finish with over 60 parade entries.
Hastings Golf Club, which is part of Hastings Public House, are the organizers of both the parade and fireworks with Vermillion State Bank being the main sponsor for the fireworks. With Hastings Public House as the primary organizer, they have turned the night into an evening long leadup to the fireworks. There is plenty of food and live music at Hastings Public House which run right into the fireworks that are scheduled to start at 10:00 p.m. on the Fourth.
We at the Journal hope you have a safe and fun Fourth of July each and every year. Happy Birthday America!