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Eagle Lake will host a new ‘Freedom Festival’ with a barbecue cook-off, car show, sip and shop, live music and more to celebrate Independence Day, Friday, July 3.
The festival will include 10 different events throughout Eagle Lake and the downtown square. City Manager Tink Jackson first reviewed the initial plans during a city council meeting, March 10. The city later released more detailed information to the Citizen.
“We had a follow-up meeting with the downtown businesses after Galantines’ [Sip and Shop]…They were reborn, wanting to do something again,” Jackson said. “We set out and are starting to plan out a full day of festivities to go with what we have here already which is, of course, the fireworks show, which you can find anywhere.”
Courtesy shuttle service from the Eagle Lake Airport to all the events, except for the fireworks show, will run from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Shuttles will run every 15 minutes.
A barbecue cook-off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Eagle Lake Community Center at 100 North Walnut Avenue will potentially serve as a fundraiser for Rice FFA through the Rice Booster Club. A meeting for the head cooks will be held the day before, July 2, at 6 p.m. The cookoff’s three categories are brisket, chicken and ribs. Awards for grand champion, reserve champion and people’s choice will be handed out at 5 p.m.
Families and children will enjoy a pet parade in front of City Hall at 9 a.m. Registration starts 30 minutes before at 8:30 a.m. with two categories for adult and child. Judges will present awards for best owner and pet coordinated costume.
Johnny’s Sport Shop will host a gun expo in the store at 101 Boothe Drive from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All customers will receive a ticket to be entered in a giveaway for a Radical Firearms AR-15 valued at $600.
A golf scramble will take over Eagle Lake Golf Course from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and will be limited to the first 18 four-player teams. A food and drink ticket will be included in the $350 per team entry fee. First place will receive 20% of all total entry fees plus $250. Golf carts are available for $25 per cart for the tournament.
A car show will take over Main Street at the Chamber of Commerce from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Registration starts at 3 p.m. for 16 classes with a $30 entry fee. Awards for best of show, people’s choice, mayor’s choice and city manager’s choice will be handed out at 7:30 p.m. on the main stage.
Try your hand solo or with a partner in a cornhole tournament from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the downtown square. Registration starts at 4:30 p.m. with a $20 entry fee for one-on-one games or a $40 entry fee for two-on-two team games. Winners will receive 50% payback and medals. The public can play for free all day as well.
Market on the Square and a downtown business Sip ‘n Shop will begin at 5 p.m. and continue until midnight. Food trucks will congregate for a makeshift food court, and vendors will be stationed near the fronts of open businesses. Sip n’ Shop businesses currently include Prickly Pear Resale Shop, The Place Antiques, Down on 90, Moonside Macaron, Junkology, Painted Tree Emporium, Powerhouse Graphics and Brownies Ice Cream Shop. Set up starts at 3 p.m.
Back by popular demand, The Houston Ensemble will perform live music from 6:30–8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight, pausing for the fireworks show. The cover band previously performed at the Galentine’s Sip and Shop and will return with a second singer.
The famous Eagle Lake fireworks show will start at 9:15 p.m. on Calhoun Road. According to Jackson, John, one of the organizers of the show, said they have ordered double the large fireworks for this year’s show. Any excess funds the city collects from sponsorships will be donated back towards the cost of the fireworks.
“They are ecstatic we are doing something around the fireworks,” Jackson said. “…He said the fireworks show this year is going to be big.”
