City to host week of celebrating Independence Day

Summertime is officially here, and the temperature isn’t the only thing heating up in Barbourville — so is the activity.

With the Fourth of July celebrations just around the corner, next Thursday to be exact, Barbourville Tourism has cooked up a bevy of things to do to celebrate the birth of the nation. Music, food and fun will be in no shortage on July fourth, fifth and sixth. The whole town will be buzzing as you are sure to find something to enjoy over the busy weekend.

To kick off the Independence Day celebration, the Knox Drive-In will be showing Top Gun: Maverick on Throwback Tuesday. Gates for the Drive-In open at 7:30 p.m., with the movie starting at dusk.

Beginning on Thursday, July 4 in downtown Barbourville the festivities will begin at 2 p.m. with a Beach Party, Skate in the City, Patriotic Foam Party, an Independence Day Beach Party, and Tubs of Fun which will go until 10 p.m.

At 5 p.m. will be the Red, White, and Blue KIDS Parade, followed by the Mr. and Miss July Fest Pageant at 6 p.m.

Following will be a Patriotic Pet Contest at 7 p.m. and a Hot Dog Eating Contest at 8 p.m. For those looking to show off their dance moves, from 8 p.m. till 10 p.m. you can take part in a DJ Street Dance, followed by the Red, White, and Blue Parade at 9 p.m.

The event everyone correlates with Independence Day, a huge fireworks show, will take place at 10 p.m., capping off a long day of fun in the sun.

The action doesn’t stop on July 4, however. On Friday, July 5 at Thompson Park there will betrain rides from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In addition, there will be live music with performances by Wakita Young from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. followed by the Jason Owens Band from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The festivities will wrap up on Saturday with a massive, community-wide Yard Sale from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. followed by a Car Show from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both events will take place in downtown Barbourville around Court Square.

Thompson Park will also be holding an evening of live music beginning with Paul Jellico performing from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. followed by Micah Corey from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Dalton Dover from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m., and Drew Baldridge headlining from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.