NORWICH – Spend the Fourth of July with family, famous musicans and thousands of neighbors at a new kind of holiday celebration in Norwich Wednesday.
The Norwich Career Firefighter’s Union and Millennia Entertainment have come together this year to transform the traditional fireworks display into an all-day extravaganza.
The ‘Fireworks Over the Fairgrounds’ event will be the largest celebration in Chenango County and will act as a focal point of activity for nearly 10,000 residents expected to attend this Independence Day, organizers said.
The day’s events will include a carnival midway and dozens of booths for vendors, eateries and non-profit organizations. The crowd will be treated to the delights of an internationally acclaimed country band, NASCAR race cars, mascots and even a mobile zoo.
Country band Emerson Drive will be lighting up the stage at this year’s first ‘Fireworks Over the Fairgrounds’ celebration. Their song ‘Moments’ reached No. 4 on the Canadian country music charts and reached No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs charts last week. This makes Emerson Drive only one of five Canadian artists to top a U.S. Country Billboard.
In 2002, the group won the Academy of Country Music’s award for Top New Group. Emerson Drive was nominated for Top Vocal Group of the year at the May 15 Country Music awards show, but did not walk away with an award.
Millennia-Entertainment has worked in several central New York locations bringing in artists from across the county, said managing partner Terry Potter, helping local communities sponsor several other festivities in the region. Over the years, the organization has been able to contract renowned artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson.
Emerson Drive will not be the only band entertaining the masses Wednesday. Route 66 and The Skyline Band, featuring Cassidy Lynn, will also be among the groups providing music.
The Ross Park Zoo will be sending its popular zoomobile to the event, bringing with it rare birds of prey, exotic reptiles and more.
Another new development in the annual festivities is the addition of a family fun zone, themed “Reading in our Lives.” The area will be aimed at children and families and will have at least six costumed reading mascots.
The Independence Day jubilee starts at noon with many of the programs running over a period of time. From noon to 4 p.m., special bracelets will be available for unlimited midway ride. From noon to 6 p.m. visitors will be able to view the NASCAR show cars of Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson, brought to the event by Hendrick Motor Sports from North Carolina. Noon to 5 p.m. will mark the launch of the family fun zone including the children’s mascots of Winnie the Pooh, Clifford the Big Red Dog and more. From beginning to end, music will be played at the grandstand up until the fireworks begin.
Admission to the fairgrounds is $7 per person or $15 per carload/family pass, for up to eight people. Tickets can be purchased at Hayes Office Products, 6 E. Main St., Norwich, the Norwich Fire Department, or by calling (888) 223-6000 or online at www.tickets.com by searching for ‘Fireworks Over the Fairgrounds.’ Carload tickets not purchased ahead of time will be $20 on day of the event.
Non-perishable food items will be collected in lieu of a parking fee and will be donated to the Catholic Charities’ Roots and Wings food pantry.
The Norwich Career Firefighter’s Union has annually sponsored the fireworks display for the last seven years and will be co-coordinators for the July 4 event.
Millennia sponsored a similar event in 2005 at the Otsego County fairgrounds in Morris which drew just under 7,000 patrons. The organization’s goal is to draw far beyond that, expecting 10,000 to attend the Norwich event, said Potter.