A drone show instead of fireworks, a centennial celebration, new activities for kids, a new band, and an ‘80s theme will highlight the Heritage Days this year in Mount Vernon. Even with the new additions and changes to the festival, many longstanding traditions will continue, including the car show, the movie in the pool, the parade, beer garden, and many more.
Of course, the main event will be the people coming together in celebration.
“I just like seeing everybody,” said Bridget O’Connor, the Heritage Days committee chair, “Seeing people come out and have fun in different ways and coming from different areas to see our town.”
The festival will take place July 12 and 13. The majority of the events and activities will be on First Street and at the Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center and on the campus of the Mount Vernon High School.
This Heritage Days will feature a once in a century event, the centennial celebration of the theatre program in the Mount Vernon high school. The goal of the performance will be to take people through the history and nostalgia of the program. The performance will feature many theatre performers of the past and present with and heavy emphasis on celebrating the past, said Julia Andrews, Mount Vernon alumni coordinator and communications specialist.
“I think 100 years is an amazing milestone and I’m excited to see alumni and supporters from all eras of the MVHS theatre program come together to celebrate and mark the occasion,” said Tom Stephens, Mount Vernon High School Thespian troupe director.
This celebration will take place Friday evening in the performing arts center. Any alumni who want to get involved can contact Tom Stephens or Julia Andrews. Stephens said they plan on finalizing the setlist for the show by Friday, July 5.
A big change this year will be the drone show in place of fireworks. There will be hundreds of drones flying in patterns with music accompanying the show at the Martha Activities Complex football field. The spectacle will provide similar entertainment to the fireworks, but will be more ecofriendly and will be less intrusive upon people and pets who do not like the noisiness of the fireworks.
“What’s really nice is it will help people with sensory issues or young children for noise,” said O’Connor, “We can do the show closer to homes and it’s environmentally better because we won’t have to pick up all the paper that falls from the fireworks.”
The drone show will be performed by the same company that did the homecoming drone show for Cornell College last fall.
O’Connor said the theme of Rock ‘n’ 80s stems from the class of 1984 that will be celebrating their 40-year reunion during the festival. To go along with the 80’s theme the band, Slap N’Tickle, will be performing. The live music will help set the celebratory tone for the festival.
The family fun zone will have a different theme then the Rock ’N 80s, however. The theme for that zone in Memorial Park after the parade will be fairytales.
The Heritage Days will have something for everyone this year. The two-day event will be packed with activities and performances and will be a weekend of celebration.
“We’ll act a fool in the best kind of way,” Julia Andrews said.
Road closures
On July 12 First Street West from First Avenue to Second Avenue will be closed beginning at 3 p.m. From Second Avenue to Third Avenue (The Mount Vernon Bank and Trust block) will close beginning at 4 p.m. that same day.
On Saturday, July 13, the space in front of First Street Community Center (First Street East from A Avenue to B Avenue will be closed to accommodate the car show beginning at 6 a.m. A movable city truck will be left at A Avenue and First Street from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the day on Saturday. CDG intern Drew Heck will be available to move the truck to allow car show participants to get in to the car show before and after the parade and throughout the day.
First Street from First Avenue to B Avenue will reopen at 4 p.m. Saturday following the car show.
Parking will be available at First Street Community Center lot with the intersection of B Avenue and First Street East.
During the parade, First Street will be closed from 10th Avenue up to Third Avenue from 9 a.m. to noon. Fifth Avenue to Seventh Street will also be closed during the parade from 9 a.m. to noon.
First Street West from Third Avenue to Fifth Avenue will remain closed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to accommodate the Family Fun Zone at Memorial Park and the bouncy houses.
First Street West from Hwy. 1 to Third Avenue will reopen at 3 a.m. Sunday, July 14.
Full schedule of events
2024 Heritage Days Schedule of Events
Friday, July 12 – Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center and the Martha Parsons Activities Center (MAC — MV High School Football Field)
5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bouncy Houses, food trucks, live music and beverages for sale
5:30 p.m. Kids Fun Run at the Martha Parsons Activities Center (MAC)
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Centennial Season Celebration – 100 Years of Theater at MVHS at the Mount Vernon Community School District Performing Arts Center (PAC)
At Dark – Live Drone Show at the MAC
Saturday, July 13 – Uptown Mount Vernon
8 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Alumni and Community Breakfast in the High School Commons
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Heritage Days Car Show – First Street East
10:30 a.m. – Heritage Days Parade – lineup at 9:30 a.m. at Cornell College Small Athletic and Wellness Center
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Memorial Park Family Fun Zone (free event includes Bouncy House)
11 a.m. to midnight – Beverage Tent – First Street West
11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Carnival games and inflatables in front of the Old Fire Station
11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. – Alumni reception on the First Street Community Center lawn
11:30 a.m. to midnight – Food Vendors on First Street West
Noon – Dance Arts Iowa performs on the First Street West Stage
1:30 to 5:30 p.m. – Mount Vernon Wrestling Team bean bag toss tournament
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. – ‘80s Theme Night at the Pool, includes games, music and prizes
5:30 to 8 p.m. to midnight – DJ music
8 p.m. – Slap ‘n’ Tickle
9 to 11 p.m. – Movie Night at the Pool “Honey I Shrunk the Kids”
Heritage Days returns July 12-13
Joel D. Kellar
[email protected]
July 4, 2024