BY DANI TIETZ
dani@mahometnews.com
Staying in Mahomet or Seymour for the Fourth of July makes for a fun-filled lazy day with family and friends.
A hometown parade full of tractors and candy kicks the day off right at 10 a.m. in Seymour. The Seymour Fourth of July Parade, which started in 1975 with a Boy Scout troop and a fire engine, has grown to include over 100 entries year after year.
After the parade, crowds gather at the Seymour United Methodist Church as its lawn opens for yard games, including a watermelon eating contest, a cake walk and face painting until noon.
Activities run throughout the day in Seymour as the streets are flooded with antique cars, local car enthusiasts, music and food vendors from 12 to 5 p.m.
Funds raised from the auto show go back into the community through the Seymour Community Involvement Association, which provides children with Christmas, Easter and Halloween gatherings.
At dusk the Seymour Fire Department hosts an up-close and personal firework show in the lawn of the Seymour Fire Department on the south side of town.
Gates of the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve will open at 3 p.m. for Freedom Fest. Guests can arrive early to set up for a lazy afternoon prior to the firework show at dusk.
Lake paddle boats, food concession and some family activities will run throughout the afternoon hours.
After a tribute to servicemen and women, the Cornbelt Fire Department will “Light Up the Lake” with a spectacular fireworks display set to music.
The recommended viewing area for fireworks is next to Lake of the Woods Pavilion, near the Little Golden Gate Bridge. A number of people also sit on the peninsula on the other side of the Little Golden Gate Bridge.
Admission is $2.00 per person, with children five and under free.
In the event of rain, Freedom Fest will be rescheduled for July 5th.
