Bloomington to sparkle on the Fourth

Whether you like parades, barbecues with friends, or simply gazing at the firework displays, Bloomington has many events and festivals this year for celebrating the Fourth of July.\n"This is the nation's birthday," said Dave Cobb, who is the 2004 Bloomington fireworks chairman. "We can't wait for it to happen again. It's just so much fun."\nThe fireworks display on campus is a tradition dating back 55 years ago. The event will be held Sunday at dusk at the IU Memorial Stadium, with an expected attendance of 50,000 people, Cobb said.\nThe spectacle is funded by the Bloomington community and hosted, for the fifth year in a row, by the American Veterans Organization. The festivities will feature local bands and food vendors and about $25,000 worth of fireworks, Cobb said.\n"We try to support the community as much as possible," Cobb said. "We want people to make an afternoon or evening out of this."\nThe other major event of the day will be the annual Bloomington Fourth of July parade, which will begin at 3 p.m. at the intersection of 11th Street and College Avenue. The parade will feature floats, musical acts, horses, and various marching groups and organizations, said Talisha Coppock, who is an event volunteer and member of the Downtown Bloomington Commission. \n"The parade is a real reflection of the Bloomington community," Coppock said. "It's one of those events that helps with Bloomington's image as a small town."\nThe parade will feature entries from 130 different groups, ranging from local Cub Scout troops to the Bloomington Fire Department, with the theme "Supporting Our Troops in Uniform." The walk will last a little more than one hour, with activities and musical performances before the main event beginning at 11:30 a.m.\nThe Bloomington Pops Orchestra will hold its annual Picnic with the Pops event at Ivy Tech State College on July 3. Mike walsh, vice president of operations for the orchestra, said the picnic began in 1996 and has grown in popularity.\nThe festivities will begin at 4 p.m. with local music acts, food vendors, activities for children, fireworks and a prize competition for best table decoration. Tickets for the event range from blanket seating on the lawn to group tables in front of the stage and can be purchased at the orchestra's office or at any Bloomington Marsh or O'Malia's stores.\n"It's probably one of the biggest events in Bloomington this summer," Walsh said. "It's going to be a wonderful event."\n-- Contact staff writer C. Warner Sills at csills@indiana.edu.