8 July 2015 / 0 Comments

A family tradition: Blooming Prairie’s Fourth of July celebration

Each year, the Blooming Prairie community welcomes guests from near and far to enjoy the Fourth of July Celebration, and this year was no exception. 
This year’s festivities began on the afternoon of Friday, July 3, with events for the whole family, including contests, races and shows of all kinds.  Saturday, July 4, also offered a full schedule of things to see and do and many of these activities took place in Central Park. The Blooming Prairie Chamber of Commerce organized these festivities, including the parade, which began around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. 
For many, the annual parade was the highlight of the afternoon. Elaine and Ralph Rogness, of Owatonna, attended Saturday’s parade and say they try to attend the event each year. “It’s just fun to be here,” Elaine said. 
“We always try to come out,” says Elaine. “I love the band music and the parade has a lot of nice things.” This year, she especially enjoyed the floats featuring gymnasts and seeing horses in the parade. 
Elaine also enjoys seeing some of the new, large farm equipment featured in the parade. “It’s nice to see some of the beautiful new machinery that I was not aware of,” she said. “It’s nice to learn something new.” 
For many area residents, like Rachel Grunklee and her daughter, Mackenzie, of Blooming Prairie, the Fourth of July Celebration has become a family tradition. This year, Rachel and Mackenzie especially enjoyed watching the parade together. 
“We love it,” said Rachel, of the annual celebration. “We love to celebrate America’s birthday in Blooming Prairie, and we love staying here in Blooming Prairie. All our family comes for the day and we have a lot of fun together.” 
For 12-year-old Mackenzie, the annual celebration and parade have created some lasting memories. Mackenzie says that one of her favorite things about the Celebration is getting nachos from the concession stand. 
Around 10 p.m. on Saturday, the annual fireworks display began, illuminating Victory Field with its brilliant colors. 

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