Lauren Copeland

The first Fourth of July celebrations were a time of festivity and community. In Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independence was publicly read and people gathered for a military parade and cannon firing.

This year, Lexington residents will have a few more options.

Lexington will continue the tradition of community as it hosts a plethora of events, including a downtown festival, Red, White and Boom, an old-fashioned ice cream social and a fireworks display. Several restaurants and bars will also have drink specials and events throughout the day.

Music will bring thousands of people together during the Red, White and Boom concert featuring Hank Williams Jr., Keith Anderson, Holly Williams, Justin Moore and Halfway to Hazard.

“The goal of this concert is to provide the biggest level of entertainment at the lowest price,” said Michael Jordan, director of Clear Channel Communications and Red, White and Boom.

Prices range from $20 for general admission to $98 for VIP passes.

Jordan says that families and college students alike will enjoy this concert because it has something for everyone.

“It’s the biggest party in Lexington. It’s a fun evening for students to come out with their friends,” he said. “A lot of bands will appeal to all ages.”

The concert begins at 4 p.m. in the Rupp Arena Cox Street parking lot, breaks for fireworks at 10 p.m. and then continues until midnight.

For even more music, people can attend LexJam II Unplugged from noon to 4 p.m. at the Lexington Center.

LexJam is part of a monthly music session that is targeted toward local bluegrass, folk, Americana and acoustic country musicians.

In addition to musical events, people can come to the downtown festival, which is so big that it actually began on Wednesday and is spread out during a four-day period.

Early risers can join the festivities at 7:30 a.m. with the Bluegrass 10,000 Race through downtown. As the nation celebrates its independence, the 10K scenic footrace will celebrate its 33rd anniversary.

Festival activities will be along Vine Street from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with this year’s parade starting at 2 p.m. down Main and Vine streets.

During the festival, 35 musical groups encompassing several genres will perform throughout the downtown area. These groups will be at nine locations beginning at 9:45 a.m.

If parades and concerts seem too overwhelming, Lexington residents can come down to the Waveland State Historic Site for a little taste of history with an old-fashioned ice cream social where the public can see how ice cream was made in the 19th century with costumed re-enactors demonstrating the process.

The event will give people a glimpse of 19th century life for many in Kentucky during that time, said Ron Bryant, the director at Waveland.

“This will give people an idea of how people entertained themselves,” he said.

People have many misconceptions about what happened during that time and may be surprised to find that they could make ice cream all year long on the 19th century plantations, he said.

The ice cream social is $5 for adults and $3 for children from 3 to 7 p.m. at 225 Waveland Museum Lane.

If you just want to celebrate Independence Day in a casual atmosphere with friends, Cheapside Bar and Grill is offering some holiday specials. The patio is opening at 10 a.m. for a picnic and all three bars are opening early. Delilah Why, a band from Nashville, will perform from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Cheapside will also offer drink specials, said employee Mike Tutt. Last year, the specials included a red, white and blue daiquiri.

Cheapside is located on the corner of Short Street and Cheapside.

While Cheapside is offering specials, many restaurants and businesses are closing due to the festivities downtown or to offer employees a break. Pazzo’s, Alfalfa’s and the Lexington Public Library are among these places.

However, Natasha’s Bistro and Bar will remain open and is offering some holiday specials and entertainment for hungry and thirsty patriots.

While a lot of restaurants close for the holiday, Natasha’s owners and employees thought it was important to stay open.

“We’re really about trying to keep active in the community,” said Kamilla Olsen, Natasha’s events coordinator. “We didn’t want to close when people are looking for things to do,” she said.

Natasha’s opens at 6 p.m. for their Red, White and Blues event, which will feature local blues band Tee Dee Young and The Scandalous Band. The show begins at 9 p.m.

The restaurant also offers a $5 picnic menu with the kind of food that one would expect on the Fourth of July, Olsen said. This menu is at a discounted rate from the regular menu because a lot of people don’t want to pay much for food when they simply want to hear music, she said.

If the weather is nice, baseball fans can celebrate with the Lexington Legends with a BBQ at Applebee’s Park. The picnic is from 6 to 8 p.m. and the Legends will play the Rome Braves at 7:05 p.m. After the game, fans can celebrate with a large fireworks display.

Whatever their budget, Lexington residents will have plenty to do on the Fourth. Though many people are struggling during these hard economic times, they can still celebrate this holiday with the festivity and community of the first independent Americans.