The annual Stars & Stripes festival brings together the whole Greenwood community — and even some out-of-towners — for an evening of fun and celebration.
{{tncms-inline content="<p><strong>What:</strong> Stars &amp; Stripes festival and community picnic</p> <p><strong>When:</strong> 6-9:30 p.m. Thursday</p> <p><strong>Where:</strong> Park between the Keesler and Veterans bridges</p> <p><strong>SCHEDULE OF EVENTS</strong></p> <p><strong>6 p.m.</strong> Park opens</p> <p><strong>6:30 p.m.</strong> The 601 Band performs</p> <p><strong>7:15 p.m</strong>. Veterans tribute</p> <p><strong>7:30 p.m.</strong> Boat parade; The 601 Band performs</p> <p><strong>9 p.m.</strong> Fireworks</p>" id="ee9aa64f-e44a-4093-997a-b04a36f1df9c" style-type="bio" title="Coming up" type="relcontent"}}
“It’s just a great community gathering that knows no boundaries,” said Beth Stevens, executive director of the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event each year. “It’s just one of those feel-good events that literally brings the entire community together, and that’s the whole point of the event, other than to honor our veterans and celebrate our nation’s freedom.”
The free event will be held in the park between the Keesler and Veterans bridges on Thursday. The park will open at 6 p.m., and the live entertainment will begin at 6:30 p.m. This year, The 601 Band will perform throughout the evening.
“We’ve got this really great band from Jackson coming this year,” said Stevens. “They’re a really fun party band, and they play a lot of rock ’n’ roll and Motown. There’s something for everybody.”
Stars & Stripes
At 7:15 p.m., the band will pause and the veterans tribute will be held. There will be a patriotic ceremony, which will include the National Anthem, Legionnaires from Post 29 and Post 200, and the Boy Scouts color guard.
After the ceremony, The 601 Band will pick back up.
Stars & Stripes will feature its annual boat parade on the Yazoo River. Participating boats should be decorated in a patriotic theme — red, white and blue banners, streamers and balloons and American flags. About five to seven boats enter the parade each year. There is no entry fee, and the owner of the best-decorated boat wins $100.
“If you’ve got a boat, we encourage you to participate,” said Stevens.
Each year, Stars & Stripes features a variety of activities for children of all ages. ArtPlace Mississippi will provide free arts and crafts activities and games, and the park’s splash pad will also be turned on. There will be inflatables available with the purchase of a $5 wristband for unlimited jumps throughout the event.
Greenwood Market Place will bring back its popular tent, where free large slices of watermelon will be handed out while supplies last.
The event will also feature food vendors selling a variety of items, such as burgers, hot dogs, chicken on a stick, popcorn, cotton candy, lemonade, Polish sausage, snow cones and more. Another option for those attending is to bring their own picnic baskets and enjoy a homemade meal or snacks by the river. The event is family friendly, and alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the park.
The highlight of the evening will be the 20-minute fireworks display over the Veterans Bridge, which will cap the night’s festivities.
“I’ve had so many people tell me that this is one of the best fireworks shows that they’ve ever seen,” said Stevens.
This year, the chamber is encouraging those who live near the park to opt to walk to the event rather than drive.
“If you live fairly close to the river on either side, we would love it if you can walk to the park,” said Stevens. “One cool thing about this event is that we do see a lot of foot traffic, because it’s right in the middle of town. It’s easily accessible to a lot of people, who can just walk there.”
There will be parking at the boat landing, and police will be on hand to direct traffic.
Those attending Stars & Stripes are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
“It’s just a good, fun night, and everybody comes and we all are just one big happy community for the night,” said Stevens.
Those who are interested in participating in the boat parade can call the chamber at 453-4152.
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
What: Stars & Stripes festival and community picnic
When: 6-9:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Park between the Keesler and Veterans bridges
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
6 p.m. Park opens
6:30 p.m. The 601 Band performs
7:15 p.m. Veterans tribute
7:30 p.m. Boat parade; The 601 Band performs
9 p.m. Fireworks
