Celebrating two and a half centuries of nation’s independence
Story by Paul South
and Graham Hadley
Submitted Photos
John Adams, one of America’s Founding Fathers and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, laid down the perfect blueprint for celebrating the birth of the nation on July 4.
In a famous letter to his wife Abigail, Adams wrote that the day should be celebrated “with pomp and parades, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfire and illuminations.”
Add in the intoxicating aroma of good Alabama barbecue, and it’s the perfect Fourth.
In Gadsden, Pell City, Southside and all along the Coosa River and its man-made companion lakes, Logan Martin and Neely Henry, folks will follow Mr. Adams’ recipe for Independence Day in their celebrations, especially in this, the Republic’s 250th anniversary.
The three cities began planning for the nation’s semi quincentennial on July 5, 2025, a year in advance of America’s milestone birthday bash.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s on the holiday agenda in the region:
Pell City: A Bigger Bang Theory
In late summer of 2025, during the city’s budgeting process, Community Engagement Special Projects Manager Jeff Thompson and Parks and Recreation Director Bubba Edge began the planning for Independence Day 2026. Given the milestone 250th birthday, the two wanted to do something special.
“The (City) Council went above and beyond,” Thompson said. “What they agreed to was not only to increase the fireworks budget for the extraordinarily popular show that’s on Logan Martin every year, but to double it.”
That means a show that normally costs $30,000 will be a bigger $60,000 fireworks show at the park.
“We were ecstatic,” Thompson said. “This is a community that is patriotic, that loves its veterans, that understands the significance of (this day). The Council’s decision exemplifies that.”
The decision meant that Thompson, Edge and the city had work to do. It was a welcome challenge.
“It gave us the opportunity to really try and capture this important anniversary with a special event at Lakeside Park and the Pell City Sports Complex,” Thompson said.
Pyro Shows annually puts on the fireworks extravaganza for Pell City’s Fourth festivities.
“The way that it works is much like going to a fireworks store as an individual,” Thompson said. “We have asked them for something amazing this year … What we’ve asked for is bigger and more. We want it to be a celebration, and we want this community and the surrounding communities that attend this event and this show to feel what we’re putting into this; how much we love our country and how special this day is.”
Fireworks are only part of Pell City’s Independence Day festivities. Valley Bank, WinSouth Federal Credit Union and Exit Realty Coosa River Realty-Michelle Green have partnered with the city to create a stage with live music, as well as food trucks with a variety of popular eats and a kids’ area in the sports complex. The three events together are called “Lights Over Logan Martin.”
Asked his favorite part of the prep for this special Independence Day, Thompson said, “I think it’s the recognition from this community that this is most certainly something to celebrate and the community’s desire to get on board.”
He added, “It has not been difficult at all to talk to the people here and this mayor and City Council who are overjoyed with this idea and this public about how special this day is and how much they want to be a part of it.”
City officials are expecting 10,000 people on land for the event, not including the massive flotilla of boat traffic that’s expected on water.
“My personal goal, from the city’s perspective, is to be able to give this community something that they can be proud of on the 250th anniversary of their wonderful country,” Thompson said.
“I want people to know that they live in a community that is incredibly patriotic and incredibly generous, and (this community) wants you to come out and celebrate with it on the Fourth of July.”
Gadsden: A year in the making
Asked when the region’s largest city began planning for America’s special day, John Moore, Gadsden’s director of economic development and governmental affairs, laughed. “Probably July 5 (2025),” he said.
But for Gadsden, a city building a reputation for top-drawer events, America’s 250th anniversary will be a springboard to bigger, better Independence Day celebrations, while drawing from its past with local bands and food trucks.
Featured local performers John Player and Tony Irby are on the bill, with the evening’s music capped off by internationally known Black Jacket Symphony performing Yacht Rock. The concert is free.”
“I think we’re going to try to bring back that River Fest sort of feel,” Moore said. “We’re going to bring the stage out to the four-lane on 411. It’s right on the banks of the Coosa River.”
While the concert is free, adult beverages, soft drinks and food will be available for purchase.
“We’re going to put a bar on every corner we can,” Moore said.
The evening will close out with a fireworks show off Gadsden’s Broad Street Bridge.
“We will probably put on the biggest fireworks show the city has ever seen,” Moore said.
In fact, Moore said, it may be the largest celebration of America’s birthday in the city’s history – “with us bringing the concert out on 411 and the fireworks show off the bridge, plus we’re working on some things I can’t talk about right now.”
Folks can expect to see increased promotion of Gadsden’s celebration as it draws closer.
The celebration is part of a concerted effort on the part of Mayor Craig Ford and the city to make Gadsden a destination city.
“That’s what the mayor brought me on for,” Moore said. “We’re always looking for something that’s not being done in the area, or something that can be improved. That’s how we picked up with the Lantern Festival (at Noccalula Falls) that wasn’t being done anywhere in the area.”
As of late March, some 40,000 people had attended Lantern Fest, at least half coming from outside the region, Moore said.
On Independence Day, some 500 to 800 boats are expected on the Coosa.
“It’s an amazing thing to see that sea of boats,” Moore said. “And to see people stretched across the city; there’s roughly 25,000 people within a one-mile radius of City Hall getting ready to watch the fireworks show. It’s got to be one of the largest fireworks shows in the state, just in terms of the number of people.”
What’s the takeaway from Gadsden’s celebration of the Fourth? Moore was quick to reply. “It should be one of those holidays when people remember the ultimate sacrifice that servicemen and women gave to give us the freedoms that we were looking for on that day in 1776.”
Southside: Challenges, charity and selling the sizzle
Southside residents will be able to join their neighbors in Gadsden and Rainbow City for fireworks and festivities on the Fourth, because of Highway 77 bridge construction in the city, Mayor Joey Statum said.
The new two-lane bridge will better connect Southside and Rainbow City, but the project is expected to take two or more years.
But on May 23 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., the city will host “Cruising for a Cure” at Southside Community Center, a car show to raise money to help local kids and their families battling childhood cancer.
Classic cars can enter for $10 a vehicle. There will also be a 50/50 raffle and other drawings. But 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the families who are fighting cancer.
Food trucks and vendors will also be on hand.
It’s an early kickoff for America’s 250th anniversary, Statum said. Last year, the event raised $9,000.
Whorton Bend Baptist Church and many others are among the sponsors for the event.
While individuals will shoot fireworks from the river and at the landing, there will not be city-sponsored illuminations on the Fourth. However, next year, Southside hopes to bring back City Fest, which will include fireworks.
“We hope to do that every year,” Statum said. He was elected last November.
Southside, like Gadsden and Pell City, hopes to bring more events to town.
“The vision we have is that with the landing we have now, we want to have an entertainment district,” Statum said. “We want a place where families can come and enjoy a nice dinner, have some drinks, have their kids play.”
Statum would also like to see a permanent spot for Southside’s “Dinner and a Movie” nights. “We want a place where people can come and be entertained,” Statum said.
The city also wants to bolster the downtown business district. “That’s a long-term vision,” he said.’
But things are already on the move. Johnson’s Grocery is new. Southside Pharmacy is, too. Restaurants have committed to coming to town. Southside Hardware is building a 12,000 square foot store. A Waffle House location will begin construction in May.
Tennis and pickleball courts are also on the city’s agenda.
“All these things are quality of life things,” Statum said. “We have a vision as a mayor and city council to bring in revenue from all the things that are going on Highway 77 to improve our quality of life.”
He added, “We’re going to take advantage of our resources which are here and the river, and we’re going to have a good quality of life and keep our kids here, working here.”
Rainbow City: Freedom takes flight
In what could be described as one of the nation’s most unique celebrations of America’s 250th birthday, Rainbow City presents its fourth annual Freedom Flight Drone Show.
This is the fourth annual aerial spectacular at the city’s soccer complex, which this year will include 500 unmanned aircraft. The one-of-a-kind event is sensitive to the needs of children and veterans who may be negatively affected by the loud explosions of a traditional fireworks display, Mayor Joe Taylor said.
“It’s less obnoxious for certain groups of the population, like children who have sensory disabilities or veterans who have PTSD. It also is for pets with owners who want to come with their pets out in public and not have to worry about the loud boom of a fireworks show.”
The drone show is paired with a community market the week before the Fourth on June 27.
“It’s a patriotic celebration. This year we’ll have 500 drones,” Tayor said. “We’ll fly a marketing flight that will feature the logos of all our community partners, and then we’ll have more music and an hour later, we’ll fly 500 drones. One hundred will feature non-explosive pyrotechnics that will be like sparklers that will give a better sense of what the show’s all about – patriotism and especially the 250th anniversary of the United States.”
Freedom Flight seeks to be sensitive to the entire population. Twenty thousand people are expected to see the show from various vantage points, double Rainbow City’s population.
The drone show will include two 15-minute segments.
“We’re really trying to appeal to the sensibility and the needs of the people who live here,” Taylor said. “You know, we have a lot of pet ownership. We have several rehabilitative services here that deal with children that have autism or different conditions that loud noise can cause a problem for them. People don’t like to use the word inclusive, but we’re trying to be inclusive to everyone in our celebration.”
Taylor got the idea for the drone event after seeing a similar show in Arizona.
“It’s a different type of show,” he said. “It’s something that’s pretty special, and it’s very, very unique.”
While 5,000 people will be in the area of Freedom Flight, the show will be visible for miles, Taylor said.
“We put the (patriotic music) on a local radio station, and you can see the show from inside your car or inside your house, depending on your line of sight,” Taylor said.
The event also has an educational component. The city’s Challenger Learning Center, which offers STEM learning, will give students a chance to have a close encounter with the science of drone technology on the afternoon before the show.
“They teach kids how to fly drones,” Taylor said. “It’s high-level technology.”
Rainbow City’s celebration will also feature food trucks and arts and crafts at the community market. Aside from food, drink and the arts and crafts, everything else is free.
Taylor takes pride in the drone event. A 17-year veteran of Army Special Forces, America’s 250th takes on a special significance.
“This country has done so much for me,” Taylor said. “We really do want to create a family-friendly environment where you can come out and enjoy a patriotic celebration with about 5,000 of your best friends.”
Lincoln’s Landing: Fishing and fireworks
No sports are more American than fishing and stock car racing. Lincoln, Alabama, is one of the capitals of both sports. The world’s best drivers compete annually at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, and the world’s best anglers cast for a trophy catch on the Coosa River.
So it goes without saying, Lincoln’s Landing is a hot spot to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. In fact, a fishing tournament will join a fireworks display as the marquee events to spark the Independence Day celebration.
With all the celebrations on tap for the Coosa River region, Lincoln’s Landing wants to start the party early.
“We will have a decent-sized fishing tournament here on June 27. We’re also doing our fireworks show that day,” said Michael Morris, Lincoln’s Landing park director. “We usually have people out here all day, depending on if Angler’s Pointe (next door) is doing anything. People come over here and park and go visit over there. Some folks bring their grills. They try to make it a big day.”
The Lincoln’s Landing event will also include food trucks. Also 94.1 The River will provide music for the day and a patriotic soundtrack for the fireworks display.
Morris explained Lincoln’s Landing’s early start to the holiday fun.
“We look to do ours the week before just so that it works well for the fireworks company and works well for us,” Morris said. “Instead of having all the (area) fireworks shows in one weekend, you have them spread out, and we kind of pull the most people. We try to do it so that we have the best outcome and the most people can enjoy it with their families.”
The show is expected to last 20 to 30 minutes.
Morris, who has been with Lincoln’s Landing since the park’s earliest days, said the Independence Day celebration is “probably my favorite event” on the park calendar.”
Of all the events Lincoln’s Landing does, “I’d like to say the Fourth of July is my favorite because of the meaning behind it and the amount of people,” he said. “It’s not just the fishing tournament out here, but you see non-fishermen coming out here to enjoy the 39 acres that we sit on.”
The event draws anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people and that includes people that are on the water.
Because Lincoln’s Landing is on Logan Martin Lake’s main channel, Morris said, “I can see boats from bend to bend. They’re just all scattered. It’s a full house.”
Morris offered advice for first-time revelers at Lincoln’s Landing. “The main reason the place was built was for tournament fishermen,” Morris said. “But my goal is that we want everybody in our community to enjoy it. We don’t want anybody to say, ‘That’s a tournament fishing park. I can’t go out there and take my grandkids fishing off the pier. We want everyone to enjoy it, because without the community of the city of Lincoln, we wouldn’t be able to have this place. We want people to take pride in this place as I do.”
If the founders like John Adams could see what’s happening in Southside, Gadsden, Pell City and Lincoln, they’d no doubt smile.
To borrow a phrase that Statum brings to city hall every day – “Let’s sell the sizzle. We’re selling the sizzle in Southside. We want the people of Southside to have the quality of life they deserve.”
Calhoun County’s Year-Long Celebration
Residents in Calhoun County will get to stretch their celebrations of the two and a half centuries of American independence across multiple days.
Jacksonville starts the ball rolling July 3, at 6 p.m. at Jax Fest, with music, vendors, food trucks, games, fireworks and more.
Oxford follows up with the Freedom Festival at Oxford Lake and Civic Center July 4, with a day of family-friendly events capped off with a spectacular fireworks show.
And those are just two of the highlights of what promoters are calling a year-long event for the region.
“We have the opportunity to be part of the America 250AL initiative.We put together a committee and started the Calhoun County 250 effort,” said Cher Dulaney, tourism director for the Calhoun County Area Chamber and Visitors Center. “We have been working here with the Chamber, our mayors, local businesses and volunteers to be the hub for all things America 250 in Calhoun.”
The county officially kicked off the local movement in the national and state semiquincentennial celebrations with the planting of a Liberty Tree at the Chief Ladiga Landing on the landmark rails-to-trails project in Jacksonville. The planting took place in March, with countywide Liberty Tree Ceremony following on April 23.
“State and local officials, an honor guard, the Pledge, music and the reading of the Declaration of Independence were part of the event,” Dulaney said.
“The events surrounding the Liberty Tree have become a symbol for the efforts in Calhoun County because of what the tree symbolizes — the unity — because people from all across the county had to come to the table to collaborate to make it happen.”
Plans are for the Chief Ladiga Trail to play a key role in other events for the America250AL initiative, she said.
“Jacksonville is putting together the 250 Ladiga Freedom ride June 28. The ride will be 12.5 miles each way, starting and ending at Ladiga Landing, for a total of 25 miles in recognition of the 250th.”
Keeping that theme, the event starts at 2:50 p.m., and participants are invited to wear “their favorite red, white and blue clothing to celebrate America. Participation is free, no registration required,” the organizers’ Facebook page states.
“We are working with other cities on the trail to do similar events,” Dulaney said.
Dulaney sees the celebrations, including local education efforts about the historic importance of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as a year-long event.
“It’s definitely a work in progress. It’s ongoing,” she said.
The committee and Chamber officials are looking at tying in America Gives to the America250AL efforts and Calhoun Gives, focusing on events around Veterans Day, among other options.
“This is the year of freedom. We want to celebrate that.”
Keep up with the America 250AL events in Calhoun County through the Visit Calhoun tourism website calendar and the Calhoun Chamber and Visitor Center website 250 Committee page.
