A quiet village will pop with activity on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 3 and 4. New Madison has a well-organized holiday observance with events to please everyone looking for a summer celebration.
The fun actually starts on Tuesday with carnival games and food vendors. The 5 p.m. start means Mom can avoid the kitchen! A beer tent will be set up and a three-on-three tournament has been scheduled for all ages, boys and girls, at 5 p.m.
Everyone enjoys the youngsters who compete for Little Miss/Mr. Firecracker. Be at the Civic Center at 6 p.m.
Corn hole will be the game of choice at the Civic Center. It has a starting time of 6 p.m.
Around 9 p.m,. the Green de Villes are scheduled to perform at the Civic Center.
Wake up Wednesday for the nation’s holiday! Start with pancakes and sausage at the United Methodist Church. Serving begins at 7 a.m. and as usual, everyone leaves “full” as pancakes and sausage will be “all you want.” For late comers, the last serving is 10 a.m.
Pets take center stage at 9 a.m. Dick Brooks once again brings the canines to front and center with tricks, training and just plain fun. Pet and owner dress up is always entertaining.
There is wiffle ball at 9 a.m. behind the school, and the parade is at 11 a.m.
If volleyball is the game of choice, then noon is the tip-off time at the Civic Center. All day carnival games and rides are available, and food vendors offer a choice with the Kiwanis Sausage Barn setting up at noon and the Legion offering chicken dinners at 5 p.m.
A car show will be held from 1 to 4 p.m., a kiddie tractor pull at 5:30 p.m. and big wheel races at 5 p.m.
Knox Morris will perform music from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Civic Center and get set for the evening explosion of color as fireworks hit the sky when darkness sets the stage for the sparkling and colorful finale.
Kat McNew will sing the National Anthem.
Gerald and Aleta Harter celebrated 60 years of marriage with an open house Saturday afternoon. They exchanged vows on June 28, 1958. The family includes Michael and Julia Harter and two sons, Adam and Alex, and Tracey (Harter) and Rick Bishop and their daughter, Courtney. Courtney is married to Justin Salyer and they have two children, Jayden and Grayson.
Another couple marked a milestone anniversary recently. Betty and Lowell Rhoades celebrated 70 years! It was also a special birthday for Lowell, who turned 90 years old. The couple lives at 387 S. Main St.
June is also the birthday month for John Tinkle. John, 130 Arnold St., celebrated 90 years. Congratulations!
Enjoy the holiday with firecrackers, good food and good times. It is a time to appreciate who we are as a nation and set aside the political bias and rhetoric. At the heart, we are united and that is cause for celebration.
