This year's Independence Day will be marked in Bloomington by several events Tuesday and Wednesday, including a block party, fireworks show, concert and parade, according to a City of Bloomington press release.
The festivities will begin Tuesday, the day before Independence Day, with an inaugural fireworks event in downtown Bloomington.
B-town Boom, a block party and fireworks show, will take place Tuesday. The event is sponsored by Cook Group and CFC Properties.
The block party starts 4 p.m. on Kirkwood Avenue, with the fireworks to be launched 9:45 p.m. from the Trades District, just to the east of North Rogers Street between 10th and 11th Streets, according to the release.
North Rogers Street will be closed between 8th and 11th Streets from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our city’s bicentennial with a corporate partner that has such deep roots in the community,” Mayor John Hamilton said in the release. “We’re grateful for Cook’s generosity, and excited to launch the city’s first official downtown fireworks from our new business hub.”
In the event of rain, the release said the fireworks show would be postponed to 9:45 p.m. July 7, although a passing storm July 3 may only delay the show to later in the evening.
Schedule changes will be posted to the city's Twitter and Facebook pages, as well as the Cook Medical Facebook page.
On Wednesday, the Bloomington Community Band will perform at 9 a.m. on the Monroe County Courthouse square, prior to the Fourth of July parade.
The parade will start at 10 a.m. It will begin at the corner of Seventh Street and Indiana Avenue, before heading west to Walnut Street, going north to Eighth Street, then continuing to College Avenue and proceeding south to Kirkwood Avenue.
It will end at Kirkwood and Indiana Avenues.
The parade will feature 100 entries showcasing everything from area music and dance troupes, to businesses and emergency service providers.
Among the groups to be featured in the parade is the Monroe County Community School Corporation Parade Band and the Bleeding Heartland Roller Derby and Skaters.
Award winners from the parade will also be announced on the square following the parade at 11:15 a.m.
The concert and parade are both free, as is downtown parking July 4.
The parade will take place rain or shine, according to the release.
