Baumholder celebrates Fourth of July with festival

Celebrate this Fourth of July with sparkle at Baumholder’s Freedom Festival!

The event is loaded with fun games, food and fireworks. The Fourth of July events will take place in the parking lot of the Hall of Champions Fitness Center on Smith Barracks and will start with an early 5K fun run/walk at 9 a.m. The festival begins at 4 p.m. with a community barbecue and fun activities for children, such as face painting, crafts, bouncy castles and games. The Rheinland-Pfalz Idol finale will start at 6 p.m. Audience participation is essential because the audience members’ votes will determine the winner.

Jacqui Haggerty, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation team member, said the Rheinland-Pfalz Idol finale will also welcome guest performer Jessica Provence, the
2009 Mannheim Idol winner. After winning Mannheim Idol, Provence went on to compete in Germany’s version of Idol, making it all the way to the finals, which were held in Cuba.

For all of the foodies out there, this year’s Freedom Fest will include a chili cook-off and pie bake-off starting at 7 p.m. To become a contestant, call Haggerty at 485-6970/ or 06783-6-6970. All food needs to be present in the fest tent immediately after the Rheinland-Pfalz Idol finale along with any serving utensils needed. The first prize winner for the chili cook-off will receive $50, and the best pie will receive $25. If chili and pie do not satisfy your taste buds, register for the watermelon eating contest, which takes place at 8 p.m.
Minnick Field will host child-friendly games at 9:30 p.m., and the sky is the limit on what type of games will be presented. Last year, unshelled peanuts were scattered all over the field and it was a race against time to see who could gather the most.

The final event of the day will be the fireworks show, starting at 10:30 p.m. A Fourth of July celebration is not the same without a fabulous light show, and spectators will not be disappointed.

Start the holiday weekend with a fun-filled day in Baumholder, complete with activities for children of all ages, live performances by Rheinland-Pfalz’s most talented singers, delicious food and fireworks.