MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Marquette has kicked off its Fourth of July weekend celebrations.
Hosted by the Marquette County Exchange Club in Mattson Lower Harbor Park, the 43rd annual Fourth of July Freedom and Food Festival offers a variety of ways to enjoy the holiday weekend, while supporting local charities.
“We’ve raised well over a million dollars for our area charities,” said Co-Chairman of the Marquette County Exchange Club, Geno Angeli. “We have 75 maybe 80 entities throughout the community that we pass our profits out to.”
Local food and drink vendors, live music, and bouncy castles will be available throughout Thursday and Friday afternoon from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Organizers say, they couldn’t have had a more beautiful opening day.
“We had a good start,” said Angeli. “A lot of people, a lot of kids, great music, great food, everything you wanted to do for the Fourth of July, we’re going to do it all.”
Angeli says that over the past few years since the pandemic, the festival has grown larger each summer.
“Ever since COVID, we’re slowly working our way back and it’s coming back very nicely,” said Angeli. “We get a lot of support from the community.
Each night will close out at dusk with a firework show on Thursday, the 3rd, and a sensory-friendly laser show on Friday, the 4th. Organizers expect to see around 15,000 people viewing Thursday’s firework show from Lower Harbor.
Thursday’s strong start hopes to bring a fun celebration weekend ahead. For Marquette’s full Fourth of July schedule of events, visit marquettefourth.com.
