From France to Freedom Fest: Annual celebration draws crowd of thousands

CEDAR RAPIDS - Organizers of the annual Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival pride themselves on the fact the event attracts visitors from near and far.

Saturday was no exception as thousands flocked to downtown Cedar Rapids to take part in a variety of activities and kick off the Independence Day weekend.

Among them was Lisa Holt, a native of Earlville, who now lives in France.

She was back visiting family and came down to the Freedom Festival parade, which stepped off at 2 p.m. It was her first time at the parade and she noted the differences between how Americans and the French celebrate their independence.

'They don't really have parades,” she said of life in France. 'The town will get together and have games and things like that. They do have fireworks in the evening like we do, but they don't really have parades.”

The Fourth of July equivalent to Bastille Day, celebrated on July 14.

'They do have one parade in Paris on the 14th, but it's all military,” Holt said. 'It's all the different branches of the military marching down the Champs-Élysées. The air force also does some aerobatics in the air. That's about the only parade I've seen or heard of (in France).”

Holt said the closest event in France to the Freedom Festival parade is a celebration called Carnaval.

'We have something equivalent to this at Carnaval,” Holt said. 'It's a lot more musical and they don't throw things out into the crowd.”

Holt said she enjoyed the Freedom Festival parade and appreciated seeing everyone being brought together by the event.

'I think it's great. It's a good way to bring everybody together even if you're not all technically socializing with everyone,” she said. 'We're all out here for the same reason and it can only be a positive thing.”

A panel of judges handed out awards for the top parade entries during a ceremony at 2 p.m. at NewBo City Market.

This year's winners are:

l Best Animal Unit - Gwen's Pet Grooming

l Best Walking Unit - Hy-Vee

l Judge's Choice - Collins Community Credit Union

l Leonard Pfeifer Award for Best Original Float: Corridor Hockey Association

l Best Use of American Pride - Sheet Metal Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Local 263

The Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival continues this week with several activities planned, including a pancake breakfast, car show, road races, concert, family activities and a fireworks show on Tuesday.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Here are some of the events taking place today through Tuesday at the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival. For a complete schedule, go to freedomfestival.com:

Today

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Dock Dogs competition, NewBo Ale House

3 p.m. - Star Spangled Organ concert, First Presbyterian Church

7:30 p.m. - Cedar Rapids Municipal Band concert, McGrath Amphitheatre

Monday

6 p.m. - Music at the Museum, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library amphitheater

7 p.m. - Five Seasons Ski Team show, Ellis Park

Tuesday

8 a.m. - Pancake breakfast, Veterans Memorial Building

8 a.m. - Fifth Season Races, featuring Health Solutions 8K, start at Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

8 a.m. - Freedom Festival Car Show, Third Avenue Bridge

4 p.m. - Celebration of Freedom, downtown Cedar Rapids

5 p.m. - The Johnny Holm Band performs, McGrath Amphitheatre

7 p.m. - Five Seasons Ski Team show, Ellis Park

Dusk - Fireworks show, downtown Cedar Rapids

l Comments: (319) 368-8538; elianna.novitch@thegazette.com