The City of Murfreesboro’s “Celebration Under the Stars” will be at McKnight Park and Sports*Com. The day’s activities begin at the outdoor pool at Sports*Com at 10a.m. with the “Rock the Pool Party,” games and prizes until 6:00p.m. – Admission is $3.00 for youth and seniors / $4.00 for adults. The evening activities in McKnight Park begin at 5p.m. and admission to the family-oriented events will be free of charge.
From 5 to 7:45 p.m., there will be games and activities for the kids, including 8 inflatables, face painting, carnival games and more. At 8:00 p.m., following the presentation of colors by the Murfreesboro Fire Department Color Guard and singing of the national anthem by soloist, Katie Haun, the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra will present a program of traditional patriotic tunes and inspirational classics. The fireworks display by Pyro Shows will light up the sky at 9:00 p.m. Please note: that if it is raining between 7:15 – 7:30 p.m. we will need to cancel the concert and the fireworks will begin at 8:30 p.m.
For parking, please enter the entrances for McKnight Park off Dejarnette Lane. The Dejarnette Lane exit will be available at all times and Airport Road will be closed. Parking will not be permitted on Dejarnette Lane or Memorial Blvd. Friends and families are encouraged to carpool to maximize the parking available. In addition, Rover will be shuttling from Irongate Blvd between Krogers and the post office to McKnight Park. It is preferred that pedestrians not cross Memorial Blvd.
For safety purposes, organizers would like to remind everyone that pets, alcoholic beverages, cooking grills and personal fireworks or sparklers are not permitted on the celebration site. In addition, banners and signs from outside groups, other than the evening’s sponsors, will not be allowed on the grounds. Families are encouraged, however, to bring picnic baskets, lawn chairs, and blankets for picnicking on the grass.
Concessions at Sports*Com, along with various food vendors, will sell soft drinks, pizza, hotdogs, and other traditional snacks and desserts.
The Military Officers’ Association of America (MOAA) will be collecting old, unused, or broken cell phones and recycling them in exchange for prepaid cell phone cards for use by our troops in Afghanistan. The Stones River Chapter of MOAA will have a cell phone drop boxes at McKnight park during the “Celebration Under the Stars” activities. This is an excellent way to get rid of old cell phones and support our military personnel serving in harm’s way.
Sponsors of the event include the City of Murfreesboro, Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation, Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra, Colonel Hardy Murfree Chapter; NSDAR, Walmart, and State Farm.
A special “Celebration Under the Stars” publication will be inserted in the DNJ June 30 and July 3, providing a schedule of activities and a map of the celebration site.
For more information about the celebration, call Marlane Sewell, steering committee chair, at 615-893-2141 or Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation at 615-890-5333.
