Friday, July 5-Sunday, July 6
One of the longest-running Fourth of July festivals in the state celebrates another successful harvest of sweet blackberries with a carnival, fireworks, children’s games, live music and more in McLoud’s Veterans Park, 215 S. Sixth St. The Blackberry Festival began in the 1940s, when the harvest celebration was combined with the town’s annual Fourth of July picnic – a McLoud tradition since 1895. Even though the Blackberry Growers Association disbanded in the 1960s, the town still celebrates each year with a big weekend drawing thousands of people. The festival will be in full swing Friday, July 5, from 5 p.m.-midnight and Saturday, July 6, 8 a.m.-midnight. On Saturday, the parade will begin at 10 a.m., and fireworks will begin at 10 p.m. Admission is free. For more, visit www.mcloudchamber.com.
