Photo provided by Kathryn Baylor | Yellow Trail Museum
Families prepare their kids for the Old Fashioned Independence Day bike parade. Over 50 children participate in the event annually.
HOPE — The Yellow Trail Museum in Hope will host an Old Fashioned Independence Day event in Hope on Friday, June 27, with activities from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The annual event will include a bike parade, pioneer games, food booths and live music with fireworks at dusk.
Children under age 10 are encouraged to dress in their most patriotic outfits as they participate in the annual bike parade. Anyone wishing to participate in the parade should complete the permission slip available at the Yellow Trail Museum and return to parade organizers before the event begins. After the parade, all participants will also receive a prize.
“It’s just a little slice of Americana, because of the kids dressing up in their patriotic red, white and blue,” said Jessica Deckard, a board member at the Yellow Trail Museum and organizer of the event.
The town square will also be decorated in red white and blue, including an American flag that covers over a quarter of the Yellow Trail Museum and Visitors Center building. The goal of the flag is to create a sense of patriotism in visitors and community members, Deckard said.
There will be food tents available in the town square, Deckard said. All activities are free.
“Everything we do at the museum is free, which is important when you’ve got low-income families that can’t afford to pay $20 to go do something to celebrate,” she said.
One of Deckard’s favorite events is the crowning of Miss and Mister Firecracker, an annual fundraising contest for all children ages 3-10 years old. Deckard originally thought of the idea when she joined the board of the museum seven years ago.
If children wish to participate in the contest, registration forms are available at the Yellow Trail Museum, Hope branch of the Bartholomew County Library, Willow Leaves restaurant, and on the square the day of the event. All voting for the contest is done by fundraising, with one penny counting for one vote. All proceeds of the contest will benefit the Yellow Trail Museum.
Most years, the Miss and Mister Firecracker contest raises more than $900, Deckard said.
The evening will conclude with a performance by the Bannister Family Band, a bluegrass and country group, performing from 7 to 9:30 p.m., followed by firework.
“People just watch the fireworks and they’re amazed that this little town puts them all on, and it kind of brings up a patriotic swelling in your heart,” Deckard said, “It’s probably our most popular event we have out here in Hope, so we hope to keep it coming for years to come.”
