Big return of Freedom Festival has organizers seeing red, white and blue
The 2021 "Stadium of Fire" takes place at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, July 3.
One of several artisan demonstrations at the Colonial Heritage Festival. Basket weaving is one of the popular stops in the village. July 5, 2021.
The 2021 "Stadium of Fire" takes place at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, July 3.
The 2021 Freedom Awards Gala featured seven award recipients, the entertainment of Jenny Oaks Baker and her family, a three-course dinner and a lot of friends visiting and mingling for the first time in over a year. July 5, 2021.
The 2021 "Stadium of Fire" takes place at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, July 3.
The 2021 "Stadium of Fire" takes place at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, July 3.
The 2021 "Stadium of Fire" takes place at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, July 3.
One of the more popular parts of the Colonial Heritage Festival is the cannon and gun demonstrations and the skirmishes between the American Militia and the British Redcoats. July 5, 2021.
To say America’s Freedom Festival at Provo was a success, could be a slight understatement.
It appears that a year without the Fourth of July celebrations left many people wanting to celebrate this summer.
From the packed Freedom Awards Gala at the Utah Valley Convention Center to the Grand Parade that festival leaders say topped 300,000 people lining University Avenue and Center Street, it appears the festival is back.
While the crowds meandered through Freedom Days in downtown Provo, residents also filed into LaVell Edwards Stadium for “Stadium of Fire,” and also gathered outside the stadium to watch the fireworks. Thousands of residents woke up early to see the popular Balloon Festival at sunrise.
While that was happening in Provo, in Orem the Colonial Heritage Festival leadership at the Scera Park say it was one of the largest attended festivals in its 15-year history.
Inside at the SCERA Center for the Arts, the production “Cries of Freedom” had full audiences at every showing. Next door the Brent Ashworth American Heritage Museum was full all the time.
“We had big crowds,” Ashworth said. “The biggest crowds we’ve ever had. Hundreds of people came through.”
From the Children’s Parade to the Flag Retirement ceremony individuals and families had days of activities to celebrate independence.
“We are so thrilled as a Freedom Festival that we were able to provide our events this year to our community,” said Jim Evans, executive director. “As I sat in the stadium on July 3 watching everyone enter I felt a deep gratitude to God that we could once again provide this wonderful event for all the families that come every year.
“Being able to once again hold the ‘Stadium of Fire’ provided a patriotic healing ointment to soothe troubled hearts,” Evans added.
“The lump in my throat has never been any bigger then when I rode down the parade route and witnessed the thousands of individuals, children and families celebrating the freedoms that we enjoy in our country,” Evans said. “I’m so grateful to the thousand-plus volunteers that worked for months to make our Freedom Festival an overwhelming success. It was so inspirational to be back this year. God Bless America!”
So, now that the 2021 festival is in the history books, what’s next?
If you live in any one of the other cities or towns in Utah County there is still a lot of celebrating to be done. From rodeos, parades, carnivals and more, Utah County cities are known for their summer celebrations.
If America’s Freedom Festival — or any of the earlier city celebrations that have seen multitudes of residents attend — is any indication, the upcoming summer celebrations are on track to be bigger and better than ever.
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