An event that began several years ago when a group of Army buddies jumped into Bill Hogan’s Jeep for a jaunt around Bethany has turned into a full-blown Independence Day celebration with a parade and several activities at the fairgrounds on the Fourth of July in Bethany.
Hogan’s one-Jeep patriotic tour de Bethany has grown into a parade Saturday afternoon involving scores of entries that begin lining up in front of Bill and Liz Hogan’s home on Oakland Avenue. The parade begins at 3 p.m. and proceeds onto the Square and to the park.
The parade continues to honor the memory of the Hogans.
The First Baptist Church will be sponsoring a hot dog eating contest and a dog costume contest at 2 p.m. Lifelong Bethany resident and World War II veteran Doyle Thomas will be crowned as the king of the parade at 3 p.m.
The parade will be sponsored by the Bethany Area Chamber of Commerce.
The celebration will move to the Northwest Missouri State Fairgrounds for a fireman’s rodeo from 4 to 6 p.m. involving the fire department. Children’s games and prizes also will be held at the fairgrounds from 4 to 6 sponsored by the Harrison County Community Hospital.
The Bethany Kiwanis Club will be serving hamburgers and hot dogs and the Girl Scouts will serve ice cream and cake.
The Crooked River Band will perform from 6 to 8:30 p.m. sponsored by the city of Bethany.
The day comes to an end with the annual fireworks display sponsored by Bethany Fair Inc.
Other communities announcing Fourth of July event:
Gilman City—The Gilman City Lions Club will be holding an old-fashioned Independence Day celebration on July 4 in the Uptown Park. They will be serving a dinner starting at 6 p.m. The Country Style Band will be performing, followed by a fireworks display.
Ridgeway—The Ridgeway All-School Reunion will be held on Saturday, July 4, with a parade at 2 p.m. sponsored by the Alumni Association. Presentations will be held at 5 p.m. followed by a dinner at 6 p.m. at the Field House.
A fireworks show will be held at dusk.