JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- This year's Freedom Fest celebration is scheduled for two days: Tuesday, July 3 for Department of Defense identification cardholders and their guests and Wednesday, July 4 for DOD members and the general public.
Tuesday's events begin at 1 p.m. with the Classy Chassis Car Show. The Freedom Fest carnival opens at noon and continues through 8 p.m. Activities include roving entertainers, festival foods and crafts. There will also be on-stage entertainment featuring Wally and The Beavs, the Afrodisiacs, and the Spazmatics.
Members of the general public are invited to attend Wednesday's July 4th Freedom Fest celebration activities from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Cowan and Memorial Stadiums on Lewis Main. Admission is free, and visitors should bring photo ID. Vehicles must enter the base via Interstate 5, exit 119. See installation access instructions below.
All-day attractions include a midway with carnival rides, fair food and other concessions, Kids World activities, jugglers, stilt-walkers and other roving performers and live music. Scheduled performers include: Unified Culture a Reggae band and Cherry Cherry performing a Neil Diamond tribute. A young country band the Megs will precede this year's headline performer, country music chart-leading artist David Lee Murphy. Closing out the live performances, playing a variety of Funk and R&B hits is Groove Nation.
A salute to the nation ceremony begins at 8:30 p.m. at Cowan Stadium, followed by a performance by America's I Corps Band beginning at 9 p.m. The fireworks display is scheduled to begin around 10:15 p.m., or as soon as it's completely dark.
To see a complete list of scheduled events and additional information, visit http://www.JBLMFreedomFest.com.
Installation access instructions:
Participants who do not have a vehicle registered for base access should take I-5 to exit 119, and enter at the DuPont Gate. Military ID card holders with installation access privileges may enter at other gates. Parking is first-come first-served, and carpooling is encouraged when possible.
All visitors to the installation are subject to search, as are vehicles, purses, backpacks and other hand-carried items entering the base. Weapons, glass bottles, fireworks of all kinds, and pets will not be permitted on the festival grounds. Medical alert and medical assistance animals are permitted. Marijuana is illegal on JBLM.
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Drivers should bring a valid driver's license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Passengers age 16 and older must bring a state or federal government-issued photo ID to be admitted to the installation.
Security staff will direct visiting vehicles to a satellite parking area, where shuttle buses will provide transportation to the stadium.
Assignment editors:
News media interested in covering this event must call 253-967-0152 or 967-0158 before 1 p.m. Monday, July 2 to arrange for a Public Affairs escort onto the installation. After regular duty hours, call 967-0015, and ask for the Public Affairs Officer on call.
Download: News Release: JBLM to host two day July 4th "Freedom Fest" Celebration Tuesday and Wednesday [PDF]
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