It’s finally here — the Lennox Old Fashioned 4th of July festivities are ready to begin!
Bring your car into Lennox on Friday for the annual Cruise Night. If you’d rather just watch the vintage vehicles as they make the loop on Main Street, park your lawn chair and enjoy the fun.
The Lennox High School Band Boosters will be located by the Sunshine store selling popcorn, pop and water starting at 5 p.m.
Angels Among Us, a Relay for Life team, will be selling hot dogs, chips and water in front of Temple Insurance.
When you have had your fill of “cruisin’”, head to the north end of Main Street for the Street Dance, featuring Judd Hoos and Dustin Evans and the Good Times Band. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale now at Sunshine and Total Stop Convenience Store for $10 each. At the gate the cost will be $15 per ticket. Proceeds from the street dance will benefit the Lennox Swimming Pool.
On Saturday, July 4th start your day out with pancakes at 7 a.m. at the Intermediate School Cafetorium (formerly known as the LWC Middle School). Serving will continue until 10 a.m. This event is sponsored by the basketball/football groups.
You can also enjoy rolls and coffee at the Lennox Senior Citizen Center from 8 to 10 a.m.
At 8 a.m. the Firecracker Road Race will begin at Lennox High School. Registration for the race is now open. The cost for both the 5K and 10K races is $25 each. To pre-register visit https://runsignup.com/Race/SD/Lennox/LennoxFirecracker. A one mile and two mile will also be held. The cost to pre-register is $10. Pre-registration is available at the Lennox City Hall. The day of the race cost is $15. The race is sponsored by the Lennox Lions and the Lennox Area Community Fund.
After the race, find a spot to enjoy the annual 4th of July Parade. It will begin at 10:30 a.m. Parade entries should be at the Sinning Sports Complex to line up by 9:30 a.m. The Lennox Firemen are organizing the event.
The parade route will begin at the south end of Main Street and head north to 1st Avenue. On 1st, it will turn West to Elm Street. The route will then head south on Elm Street to Highway 44.
Following the parade, Arts in Park will be held at Westerman Park from noon to 5 p.m. and will feature craft and food vendors. Food will also be served at the Lennox Senior Center.
Bring your chairs along to the park and enjoy live music from 11:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the Hegg Brothers, Carolina Story and Burlap Wolf King.
The Annual Car Show and Shine is moving back to the old football field again this year. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is hosted by Operation Addy, a nonprofit charity. Call Tony Tripp at 605-951-8590 for more information.
A Dunk Tank at the park will raise funds for the Lennox After Prom group. You can take a turn getting a shot at your famous local celebrity—at noon, Coach McVey will take a spot in the tank; Coach Luze from 1-2 p.m.; Eric Rops, from 2-3 p.m.; and Superintendent Kirk Easton from 3 to 4 p.m.
A Bean Bag Tournament will begin at 1 p.m. at the park basketball court. Cost is $20 per team with cash prize payouts for first, second and third. You can register your team online at www.lennoxboosters.com. Raffles and refreshments will also be available for purchase with the proceeds to go to Lennox Athletic Booster Club and the Football Parents Group.
The 4th is a great day to take in a baseball game! The American Legion team will be playing at 1 p.m. and the Only One Amateurs team will play at 5 p.m.
Don’t forget the local museums this holiday weekend. Lennox Area Museum at the corner of 3rd and Main will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free but donations are welcome.
A new event will be held at the South Dakota Country Music Opry House & Museum, located at the corner of 2nd and Main. Classic Karaoke will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Come and join the fun.
When you start to get hungry, head back to the park for a free-will donation Pork Loin Sandwich meal served by the Lennox Band Boosters, 5 p.m.
The park is the place to be that evening, as the Lennox Municipal Band takes to the stage at 8 p.m. The LHS Band Boosters will be selling popcorn during the concert and before the fireworks.
The 4th would not be complete without the annual fireworks show! Each year, it just seems to get better and better. It will begin a dusk. The fireworks will be shot off at the high school parking lot. A great end to a great day!
The weekend isn’t over on Saturday. On Sunday, July 5th the community will gather at the park for community worship at 10:30 a.m. Please plan to bring lawn chairs. A catered meal will follow. All are welcome to attend.
Sunday afternoon, head down to the firestation at Juniper and Second and cheer on your favorite firefighter and battle in their annual water fight!
Enjoy this great weekend of fun and games with family and friends.