Tables, blankets, food vendors and families filled the Ivy Techcampus Saturday for the 11th annual Fourth of July event “Picnic with the Pops.”\nGates opened at 5 p.m. for preconcert activities before the Bloomington Pops Orchestra took the stage at 8 p.m. Kevin Halloran, president of Bloomington POPS Inc. and Mike Walsh, chair of the “Picnic with the Pops” committee introduced the orchestra.\nEven though the Fourth isn’t until Wednesday, the “Picnic with the Pops” traditionally takes place on a Saturday, Halloran said.\n“Today we gather to celebrate our nation’s birth, enjoy family and friends,” Walsh said.\nDecorated tables filled the lawn area at Ivy Tech as the orchestra set up onstage. Children gathered together and played footballand tag. The Color Guard and Cannoneers marched in front of the orchestra to a line of four canons on the edge of campus. \nBloomington POPS maestro Chris Ludwa began the concert with a rendition of “Yankee Doodle” before leading a children’s parade. The Rise & Shine Cloggers, a professional dance team, took the stage before singer Tracy Thomas crooned patriotic songs.\nSix junior-high school students attended the event with their families. All six girls have been attending the event for more than three years and have enjoyed it. Mary Edgeworth said she gets to hang out with her friends and socialize during the event.\n“A lot of the school community is here and you don’t get to see them in the summer,” Edgeworth said.\nKelli McDevitt said aside from hanging out with her friends, she feels this social event has a good atmosphere and said she plans on attending the event as long as she’s still in town.\nThe Picconi family moved to Bloomington three years ago but this was the first year they attended Picnic with the Pops. Marc Picconi said this year is the first one they felt they could make it to the event with their children.\nRino, the Picconi’s 3-year-old, kept repeating that he liked the canons as he sat down on the family’s blankets. \n“(The event) is wonderful,” Marc said. “I like (that) they have all patrioticsongs.”\nHalloran said the committee begins planning the event in January and works monthly until June, when they begin meeting weekly. The event brings in about 3,000 people each year, though ticket revenue brings in only 40 percent of what it costs. Tickets range from $200 for front row family seats to $10 for blanket seating. Reimbursement for the rest of the event costs come from corporate donations and individual donations, Halloran said.\nHalloran said the event has been at Ivy Tech for the past four years and always features the Bloomington Pops Orchestra. He said the event gets lots of great feedback.\n“(Picnic with the Pops) has taken on a life of its own as a community event,” Halloran said. “There’s nothing else like it.”
