Music, Pageants, and Fireworks take center stage in Doniphan for Fourth!
It’s going to be a day full of music, beauty pageants, and fireworks next Saturday as the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce sponsors its annual Fourth of July Celebration at Doniphan’s Riverfront Park.
Music is going to take center stage at this event following the pageant, and will include Black River Blues Bad, Nashville entertainer Scott Shipley, Bad JJ, and Jayen Andrews, who was the winner of the Billy Yates Hearts for the Arts Scholarship.
Darin Stevens of the Black River Blues Band says the “Red, White and Blues” entertainment program is a dream of his that has been several years in the making.
“Thirty years ago, the band I was playing I opened the Fourth of July Show at the Doniphan Ballpark. I’ve wanted to bring that journey full circle, and last year we were asked to perform, but we were already scheduled somewhere else. So this year I volunteered to put the show together, and it has been a blast for me to work with the Chamber of Commerce crew and Hometown Pharmacy, which is sponsoring the entertainment,” said Stevens. He added putting music together for a Fourth of July event is never easy, because bands are very busy, especially on a holiday weekend. “We just feel very fortunate to have this kind of an entertainment line-up. These are all very talented people.”
The music follows the pageants, which are always a hometown favorite for the Fourth.
A dunking booth and Bounce House is being sponsored by Southeast Health of Ripley County. Raffle tickets will be available for two tickets to the August 2 game of the St. Louis Cardinals vs. the Rockies. Also raffled will be a Vizio 50-inch LED Smart HDTV, and a four-burner stainless steel gas grill.
Fireworks will begin at dark.
Parking for this year’s event will be available in the soccer field, in the parking lot of Schultz Engineering, around the Whiteside car wash, and around the courthouse. Attendees are asked not to park in the Rocky River parking lot or KC’s on the Current during their business hours.
Alice Mickey Shelton of the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce adds that it has taken the hard work of a lot of people and area businesses to make the Independence Day event possible.
“I really encourage people to support the sponsors and thank the people involved. This is always a highlight of the year for Doniphan, and it would not be possible without a lot of hard work from a lot of people,” said Shelton.
Event sponsors include the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce, Three Rivers Citizens Advisory Board, Fox Radio Network, Vision Improvement Clinic, Southern Bank, Luecke Distributing, Bank of Grandin, Colonial Homecare, Southeast Health of Ripley County, Ederer Insurance Agency, and Prospect News.