Sophie Goetz, 4, of Hixson, was not quite sure why Friday was a national holiday, but it involved face paint and bouncy inflatable castles.
The children’s attractions, food and craft vendors and live music all lent to the warm, festive Independence Day at the 28th annual Soddy-Daisy Fourth of July Festival and Celebration at Soddy Lake. The festival — part carnival, part fireworks show — was one of the many celebrations held across the region to celebrate the Fourth of July.
With a little help from her father, Michael Goetz, Sophie said Friday marked the “birthday of the American flag.”
“It’s just a good day, celebrating our independence. We’re just enjoying the day,” he said.
While southern blues band Essential Mama rocked out, Araceli Scales, of Hixson, said July Fourth can be defined by one word: “Independence!”
The city provided the fireworks and stage while the North Hamilton County Chamber Council organized the rest, with proceeds going to the local school programs. Kayakers, swimmers, American and Confederate flags and flying Frisbees peppered the lakeside front.
IF YOU GO
* The Creative Discovery Museum’s Red, White and Blue Days continue today and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., featuring patriotic arts and crafts, daily parades and bubble-wrap stomping “fireworks.”
* The museum’s summer hours are 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily (through Aug. 10).
* Tickets are $8.95 for children and adults. All Red White and Blue Days activities are included in the museum’s regular admission charge.
* Creative Discovery Museum is at 321 Chestnut St. in downtown Chattanooga.
* For more information, call 756-2738, or visit www.cdmfun.org.>
Organizer Laura Oakley said the chamber council expected about 12,000 people Friday, with many coming especially for the fireworks. No alcohol was sold at the event, or even allowed in the park and lake areas.
It’s all about “families and fun,” Ms. Oakley said. “Celebrating what America does best. The freedom to celebrate.”
Ms. Oakley said the crowd included people from Stone Mountain, Ga., a few from North Carolina as well as newlyweds from Atlanta. The North Carolina group entered in the car show, which featured vintage Corvettes and a few antiques.
Along with the car show and fireworks, revelers could wander from the morning’s fireman’s muster to the entertainment stage, which featured local musicians playing a variety of gospel, country, dance music and acoustic jam funk.
When Gene Hodge, a Soddy-Daisy electrician, took the stage, Elvis was in the house.
“I’m gonna inject your soul with some sweet rock ’n’ roll, and shoot you full of rhythm and blues,” the tribute performer crooned, from Elvis Presley’s “Steamroller Blues.”
Mr. Hodge then got the 60 or so audience members on their feet without having to ask. He just belted out “America the Beautiful.”
For those too young to stay up for fireworks, there were other ways to celebrate the nation’s birthday.
At the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, the fireworks were just as loud but less visually spectacular. The museum’s Red, White and Blue Days this weekend include daily parades with Clifford the Big Red Dog and explosive bubble-wrap stomps.
“Sixty kids jumping on bubble wrap can make a lot of noise,” the museum’s executive director Henry Schulson said.
From noon to 4 p.m. this weekend youngsters can make their own cardboard fan, Uncle Sam mask or wind sock in American red white, and blue. They also can have their faces painted and parade around the museum wearing their patriotic crafts.
The kids ran around the rest of the museum Friday trying out the various interactive exhibits. Many families said they were visiting the museum and Chattanooga relatives for the holiday weekend.
At the Soddy-Daisy festival, Vietnam veteran Robert Cothran was thinking about troops abroad during the holiday.
“I’ve had a bunch of people come by here today and thank us for serving in Vietnam, and to say something about the guys who are serving right now,” he said. “If they weren’t over (in Iraq) serving right now, would we have the freedom right now to be doing what we’re doing? We might not have that.”
He and other veterans of the Soddy-Daisy Vietnam Veterans of America’s Chapter 942 sat under a tent selling drinks. While Veterans Day is a more somber affair, Independence Day is a “celebration,” he said.
“We can go out and make what we want to make of ourselves. We’ve got the ability to enjoy life and not be told what to do,” Mr. Cothran said. “(It’s not) every place in the world you can do what we’re doing here today — a bunch of people coming together and not worrying about being hurt, or being shot, or being blown up. That’s freedom.”
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