SUBMITTED PHOTO The annual Red, White & Blue Celebration will feature much more than a fireworks display this year. There will be a parade, a car show, kids activities, softball and baseball games, a concert in West End Park and a three-day carnival.

The turn of the month marks the 250th anniversary of the country and a large Fourth of July four-day festivity in Marshalltown – the Red, White & Blue Celebration.

Spearheading the celebration is Luisa Ortega, who has brought many people into putting together the pieces of the Red, White & Blue puzzle.

“My goal has been to add a couple elements to the whole celebration to have a bigger, better Fourth of July,” she said. “I want to acknowledge everyone in the community who has helped, whether it was with a fundraiser, helping with volunteer work, getting the parade put together, volunteer lists. Thirteenth Street, the Chamber, the city – there’s so many people who have stepped up to the plate to make it bigger and better. July 2 through July 5, we basically have some kind of activity going on.”

The celebration will take place in two areas – the 13th Street and the Iowa Veterans Home and the Marshalltown Softball Complex.

Festivities begin on July 2 with the Cruise Through car show, complete with food trucks and a DJ, on the 13th Street District. On July 3, the Final Mix will headline the Concert in the Park in West End Park. On July 4, the 4th of July Run will begin at 8 a.m. in front of Lillie Mae’s, followed by a 10:30 a.m. parade on the 13th Street District and the Iowa Veterans Home. Afterward, there will be kids activities and softball and baseball games.

Ending the festivities on the nation’s birthday will be the fireworks finale at the Sixth Street Marshalltown Softball Complex, which Ortega praised for letting the celebration take place there. Starting July 3 and extending through July 5, a carnival will be held on the softball complex parking lot.

Ortega has placed her focus on the carnival and the fireworks. The carnival was one of the final pieces she wanted to add.

“It just so happens the 250th celebration happens to fall on a Saturday, so it was perfect timing to bring a carnival,” she said.

The softball complex Grand Slam Grill concessions will be open during the carnival. Ortega said the concessions will focus on foods and beverages the carnival will not provide, such as tacos. The carnival requests that no one else provides foods or beverages they will bring for customers to enjoy. However, they made an exception for funnel cakes since the Kiwanis will make the popular carnival pastries on Friday and Saturday.

“They said they sell funnel cakes, and I told them, ‘But this is the Kiwanis and it’s a fundraiser for us. They’ve always been part of the Fourth of July, so they will be there,'” she said.

Ortega added they are selling $30 unlimited three-day ride passes until July 1. Those can be purchased at HyVee, Lillie Mae’s and Zamora’s Fresh Market. She is expecting additional locations where the passes will be sold and said people should keep an eye on the Facebook page for updates.

“We really want everyone to come out,” Ortega said. “I’m not sure if we will do a carnival any other time, especially if the Fourth of July lands in the middle of the week. This was just perfect timing. People can really enjoy it, stay in town.”

For the $20,000 fireworks display, Ortega said they will be kept at the Marshalltown Little League off 12th Street and that area will be off limits to the public.

“As much as people are curious to see things, the bike path will have barricades and there will be a detour for the path,” she said. “There will be more police security. We just ask people to be respectful of the fact we are trying to be as safe as possible per fire code regulations. There can’t be anyone near the fireworks, in case someone flicks a cigarette butt or someone gets hurt and they go off. It’s a liability issue, so we try to keep everyone away from there.”

The Little League is the best location for the display as it will allow more residents to watch, and the softball complex is a prime viewing area. Taking the tree line into account, Ortega said all of the fireworks will be large sky pyrotechnics. There will be no ground fireworks.

“This way, no one is missing anything,” she said. “They don’t have to be front. The show is designed to be all up high.”

Ortega hopes people will attend and celebrate the nation’s birthday in Marshalltown and partake in the variety of festivities so many people have worked to bring.

“People need to check out our Red, White & Blue Celebration website, marshalltown4thofjuly.com,” Ortega said. “There is something for everybody. I hope everyone enjoys it. I hope the carnival is a success and people support some of the activities. It would be impossible for someone to go to all the activities, because that is a lot, but I hope they find something in this spread between July 2 and July 5. I hope they tag us in their pictures on Facebook. That would be nice, since we’re not able to see everything. If people have suggestions, contacts or have done activities and want to help out, let us know.”

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.