HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Hagerstown celebrated America’s 250th anniversary on Saturday night, July 4, with a free, all-day event for all ages. Though stormy conditions rearranged the event schedule throughout the day, the event turned out nevertheless successful with residents from all over the tri-state area coming out to the Agricultural Education Center in Boonsboro.
Vendors, musical performances, a car show, activities and fireworks packed this celebration with fun for the entire family. The Paws and Pistons car show took place from 12-5, in the main parking lot of the Agricultural Center, just off Sharpsburg Pike.
Ensuring anyone in Hagerstown could attend the event, a shuttle bus traveled to and from the event offering free rides from the Transit Station on West Franklin Street in downtown Hagerstown. Still, unsteady weather conditions put a damper on the day with extreme temperatures and sporadic thunderstorms, even resulting in a shelter-in-place alert at one point.
Yet, the event went on despite cancelling the drone show and moving forward with a smaller display of fireworks. Combatting high temperatures, Washington County Emergency management set up cooling stations equipped with misting fans, water and a medical facility on-site.
The kids zone was loaded with activities from 12 til 7 including the Washington County Bookmobile, face painting, bounce houses, obstacle courses, a petting zoo and a magic show, just to name a few. Some of these activities were also postponed due to weather, but resumed once the storm passed.
For the adults, this event featured a beer garden and innumerable vendors including Cushwa Brewing Company, Inso Gifts, Loar’s Wreaths, Always Happy Hour and Sour Sipz N’ Treatz. Several food trucks could also be found toward the back of the event such as, Cousins Maine Lobster, Grab Smash Go and Keep Smokin’ BBQ.
Of the many music performances, the Cruisers took the main stage at 1 p.m., followed by the Nathan Bartgis Band at 3 p.m., Hot Fun at 5 p.m., and Wake the Neighbors at 7:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., Barbara Ingram School for the Arts student Addison Thomas sang a beautiful rendition of “God Bless America,” before Mike Lushbaugh performed the “National Anthem “on the saxophone at 9:20, just before the fireworks.
With the many components of this event, local sponsors helped make this celebration possible through various means of support. Mack Volvo sponsored the drone show, and The ARC of Washington County sponsored the fireworks show. Ted’s Rent-It-Center, Hagerstown Community College, Hagerstown Field House, Middletown Valley Bank and Valley Mall were also among the many sponsors.
