Lining up the parade: A crowd begins to gather under a shade tree as the Fourth of July parade lines up on Oakland Stree on Saturday afternoon.
A large crowd gathered at the Northwest Missouri State Fairgrounds on Saturday night for a gigantic fireworks show that capped a day-long celebration of Independence Day in Bethany.
Adults and kids were sitting on lawn chairs and in the back of pickups as the aerial displays lit up the sky over the fairgrounds. Several watched from spots along the streets around the fair.
Bethany Fair Inc. contracted for the fireworks show with help from the city of Bethany.
Bethany expanded its usual low-key Independence Day celebration under the sponsorship of the Chamber of Commerce, the city and the fair board. The parade down Oakland Street to the Square and to the park was bigger than ever, with entries lined up two abreast on both sides of the street in front of the home of the late Bill and Liz Hogan, founder of the parade.
Doyle Thomas, a World War II veteran, was the latest to receive the sash of the Fourth of July Parade queen, receiving his banner from last year’s honoree Richard Turner.
Allison Noyd, with her dog Ella, was the winner of the pet contest that was held in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church prior to the start of the parade. Ella won the hearts of the crowd by demonstrating her trick of giving “high fives” to Allison.
Stephen Chichester, associate pastor of the First Baptist Church, served as the emcee of the pet parade and the hot dog eating contest. Garrison Seamster, 9, Bethany, consumed the most hot dogs in the contest.
Following the parade, the festivities moved to the fairgrounds where the Kiwanis Club grilled hamburgers and the Girl Scouts served ice cream and cake to the crowd gathering for the fireworks show. The fire department set up hoses to push a barrel across a rope while kids competed with garden hoses.
The Crooked River Band entertained the crowd before the fireworks show.