City To Celebrate Fourth with a Bang

Mayor Pat Vaughn remembers when Powders Springs first hosted the Independence Day Celebration in 1996, the first full year she served on the City Council.

Armed with free ice cream, the city was expecting a turnout of no more than 200 people. “Well we had a couple thousand people show up that year,” she said.

“It started with an idea with (former Mayor) Richard Sailors, and he told me to take it. And we’ve come a long way since 1996,” Vaughn said, noting that last year’s attendance was the largest ever.

A crowd of roughly 15,000 people filled not only downtown for all the vendors and activities, but also the surrounding areas to catch a glimpse of the fireworks.

“I’d just like to wish everyone a happy Fourth,” Councilwoman Rosalyn Neal said at Wednesday’s called meeting. “Come down and watch the fireworks.”

In an effort to keep the city safe, Lt. Matt Boyd said a “high percentage” of the department’s force will be on duty that night. But, he added, help from citizens is greatly appreciated.

“We encourage everyone out there to be safe on the roadways and not to drink and drive,” he said. “People also need to take caution if they’re dealing with fireworks.” For legal fireworks and safety precautions, .

Boyd said that no pets are allowed on the downtown square during the festivities, and, unlike last year, parking on the new Lewis Road extension is not allowed. This year, he said, the road will be accessible to through traffic for easy access in and out of the heart of the city.

Both admission and parking is free. The city recommends parking at , , or . 

Returning as master of ceremony is DJ Mark McCain, and Randy, Spiff and Tripp from Atlanta’s Greatest Hits 106.7 will be joining the celebration for the first time this year. An ATM will be available.

Here’s the schedule of events:

• 4-6 p.m.—Scott Thompson will be playing an acoustic set of “all those songs you know and love.”
• 6:15-9 p.m.—The Mustangs will be “playing everything from Percy Sledge to Santana to Tim McGraw to Brooks & Dunn.”
• 9:15-9:45 p.m.—Vaughn will present a patriotic program consisting of video presentations, a salute to armed forces, the Powder Springs Honor Guard’s presentation of colors, and more.
• 9:45 p.m.—The fireworks begin.

Vendors include:

• K & G Concessions
• Charles Henderson
• Bayou Billy
• West Cobb Lions Club
• Dippin’ Dots
• Dunwoody Café
• Hawaiian Shaved Ice
• Bianco Pugs
• Fontis Water

Food that will be available includes corndogs, Philly cheese steak, hot dogs, Italian sausage, jambalaya, chicken fingers, French fries, fried candy bars, funnel cakes, shaved ice, cotton candy, kettle corn, snow cones, frozen lemonade and more.

Children’s activities:

• Shark slide
• Quad bungee jump
• Roller coaster obstacle course
• Extreme slide
• Rock wall
• And more

The event is sponsored by Superior Plumbing, Atlanta’s Greatest Hits 106.7 FM, Fontis Water, One-A-Day Miche, Leafguard of North Georgia, Dixie Homecrafters, Direct TV Satellite Activations, Tutor Doctor, Everdry Waterproofing, West Cobb Chiropractic, Cobb EMC, Brad A. Hulsey—AFLAC (In memory of Bonnie Yeager and Bob Farmer), Croy Engineering, Brock & Clay Attorneys at Law, Mayor Patricia C. Vaughn

JRM Management is the event organizer. Contact them for more information at 770-423-1330 or billwatson@jrmmanagement.com.

If you have photos from a past Independence Day Celebration in Powder Springs, or any Fourth of July photos in general, send them to michael.stone@patch.com, and they'll be placed in the attached photo gallery, with credit if you'd like.