Party like it’s 1776

Are you stuck on campus away from your family for the holiday? Or are you a townie looking to rejoin your collegiate brethren for a day? No sweat! WEEKEND has cooked up a Fourth of July itinerary to beat the heat and celebrate Uncle Sam’s 232nd birthday. So break out the beers and start up your grills, because it’s going to be one hot holiday.

9 – 10 a.m. Get your pride on

Get an early start and shake off the pre-Independence Day hangover with a free concert given downtown on the courthouse square before the big parade. The Bloomington Community Band will kick off the festivities, performing for the parade’s expected 10,000 attendees. The band stands out from other local music groups because of its number of players and range of instruments.

“We’re known as a concert band,” Director Tim Moore said. “That means something in the world of musicians.”

The band plans on playing traditional July 4 songs like “God Bless America” and the national anthem to get the crowd in the mood, but they will also play other selections, including a “military melody” as a salute to all branches of the armed forces.
The group plays a variety of venues, but they have played the parade since it began. Moore said the parade is probably the largest audience they perform for, which is a big departure from more-personal settings like the local retirement homes.

“I had an 89-year-old woman come up to me when we were done playing and hug me even though I was all sweaty from directing,” Moore said. “I said, ‘Don’t hug me, I’m sweaty!’ She said, ‘I don’t care, I’m going to kiss you anyway.’”

You can also catch the Bloomington Community Band at their next gig on Saturday, July 12 at the Orleans Concert on the Square.

10 a.m. – noon Parade of floats

Get patriotic with the annual parade of floats created by over 100 local groups and organizations, featuring everyone from cheerleaders to the Indiana Special Olympics. The YMCA is letting the participants from their summer camps design their floats this year.

“We think it’s a great community event and we’re all about building a stronger community with family and friends,” Laura Dahncke, who has been in charge of the parade entry for two years, said. “It’s important to get out there.”

Groups like the YMCA are veterans in the parade, but a couple of new faces join the festivities this year.

“We’ll have a marching band which hasn’t been in the parade for the past few years,” Sarah Nix, Recreation Specialist with the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, said. “We’ll also have Shriners on mini-motorcycles.”

The Shriners of North America raise money for their children’s hospital, which according to their Web site, treat child victims of burns, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic conditions and cleft palates.

The parade is celebrating more than America’s birthday, though. This year’s theme is “Celebrating 100 Years” of the county courthouse. As a tribute to the courthouse’s anniversary, free cake will be handed out after the parade in addition to another concert from the local band the Kookamongas. The band’s distinct name has a personal origin.
“My brother used to call my kids – when they were little – ‘kookamongas,’” drummer Rex Miller said. “There’s actually an Indian tribe out in California, too, although I think it’s spelled differently.”

The group will also be performing during the parade on one of the floats. Miller said they play rock ‘n’ roll, blues and country with an emphasis on dancing, but they haven’t decided which songs they’ll be performing.

“We haven’t really thought about that,” he said. “We know so many songs that we can play about anything.”

The Kookamongas’ performance will close out the parade festivities, but a coloring tent will be available on the square as well, in case you bring along any little ones.

Noon – 2 p.m. Backyard barbecue

Now it’s time for the age-old tradition of the backyard barbecue. Pop the tops on some Samuel Adams beers and set up a tournament of the college favorite and all-American game of cornhole.

2 – 5 p.m. On the lake...

What’s a Fourth of July celebration without some time spent on the lake? Grab some floats and rent a boat from one of the several rental places to relax on the water at Lake Monroe. Be prepared to bring a few bucks, though, as rates shoot up for the holiday. Reserving a boat in advance would also be a good idea.

“We sell out on the Fourth,” Allie Crouch, supervisor of boat rentals at the Fourwinds Resort & Marina, said. “Each rental may have to go out twice that day.”

Also keep an eye on the weather. The Weather Channel reports scattered thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, but with the high temperature at 88 degrees, the rain might be a welcome respite.

5 – 9 p.m. Dinner and a movie

After you spend a few hours nose-diving in your attempt at water skiing, take a load off and do dinner and a movie. You’re in luck, because the two newest releases both have traditionally American themes. Choose from Will Smith’s "Hancock," a superhero movie with a twist, or Abigail Breslin’s “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl,” based on the American Girl doll stories.

As for the meal, WEEKEND has tracked down some festive recipes available on our Web site, idsnews.com/weekend to whip up for your guests. If you’re lucky enough to live around the stadium, you might catch the live music the Bloomington AMVETS has set to kick off at 8 p.m. before the fireworks. If you’re feeling lazy, skip cooking and pick up a bite to eat from the vendors at the show.

9 – 10 p.m. Just watch the fireworks

The fireworks kick off as soon as it gets dark and the sun goes down at 9:16, according to The Weather Channel’s Web site, so that gives you plenty of time to either make it to the stadium or set up chairs on your front lawn. The show usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes, according to Brenda Kerr from the AMVETS.

10 p.m. – TBD Party time

Have a Founding Fathers’ bash! Hit up Campus Costume on 2530 E. 10th St. for some presidential outfits. Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty and colonial Americans are Independence Day mainstays, but get specific with Ben Franklin, George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Massive amounts of fireworks are also available at the costume shop if the stadium’s show left you wanting more.