4th of July Weekend in Blackwell: What's Goin' On?

The City of Blackwell is preparing for an Independence Day weekend like no other, kicking off Saturday July 3 with the grand opening of the Blackwell Skatepark and continuing through Sunday night, July 4, with fireworks and fun.

Blackwell Tourism will be hosting the July 3 Skatepark event at Blackwell Memorial Park, officially christening the skatepark which opened in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The July 3 event will begin at noon and last until 3 p.m. leading into a free swim at the Memorial Pool from 3-6 p.m. Professional BMX, scooter, and skater exhibitionists will be featured at the ribbon cutting, and there will be love music, face painting, air brush tattoos and more.

Attendees will also get the chance to shop at over 20 local businesses which will be set up selling a variety of items. The Blackwell High School Lady Maroons will be selling food and drinks, will all proceeds going to the girl’s athletic program. On July 4, the City of Blackwell will be sponsoring a free swim of their own at Memorial Pool from 1 p.m. until 4. At 5 p.m the small business popup will migrate to the Blackwell Fairgrounds. At 6 p.m. the Trinity Lutheran Church will be distributing bag lunches at 125 Vinnedge.

One bag lunch per person, per car, will be handed out through a drive-through pickup process. Motorists are encouraged to enter the church parking lot from the south and to follow the flow of traffic. The 4th of July Parade will begin lining up at 6:15 p.m. at the parking lot on Main Street and Dewey where the Chamber of Commerce will be holding their annual children’s bicycle contest at 6:30 p.m.

The parade itself will begin at 7 p.m. the night of July 4, lead by U.S. Marine Corps Captain Gary Bringham. The parade will be going south down Main Street and end at the Fairgrounds where the annual fireworks display, funded by the City of Blackwell and Blackwell Tourism will begin at dusk.

The Blackwell Chamber of Commerce stated that ATVs and other off-road vehicles that are not street legal will need to be taken by trailer to the parade and loaded back up at the Fairgrounds.