392 FIREWORKS, PATRIOTIC MUSIC, FAMILY ACTIVITIES AT MTSU JULY 4th

FIREWORKS, PATRIOTIC MUSIC, FAMILY ACTIVITIES AT MTSU JULY 4th

May 24, 2007
CONTACT: Marlane Sewell, Parks and Rec, 615-893-2141
Tom Tozer, MTSU, 615-898-2919

MURFREESBORO—Rutherford County’s “Celebration Under the Stars” will once again be held on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University—and admission to the family-oriented event will be free of charge. Festivities will kick off at 5 p.m., Wednesday, July 4, on the university’s intramural field, the traditional site for the countywide event.
From 5 to 8 p.m., there will be games and activities for the kids, including face painting, patriotic puzzles and arts ‘n’ crafts projects. There also will be prizes and promotional giveaways.
The Col. Hardy Murfree Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution again will provide free American flags for everyone. The chapter has provided flags for this celebration for the last nine years.
Wal-Mart at Old Fort Parkway is donating the “Celebration Under the Stars” birthday cakes.
Rep. John Hood, program emcee, will extend a formal welcome at 7:30 p.m., followed by remarks from local dignitaries and sponsor representatives. This is Hood’s 10th year serving as emcee for this event.
At 8:00 p.m., following the presentation of colors by the Murfreesboro Fire Department’s Color Guard, a tribute to the armed forces and singing of the national anthem, the Tennessee Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will present a program of traditional patriotic tunes, rousing Sousa marches, and inspirational classics. Dr. Raphael Bundage, MTSU professor in the Robert W. McLean School of Music, will conduct.
The fireworks display will light up the sky at 9:00.
Guests should enter the campus on Faulkinberry Drive off Middle Tennessee Boulevard and from Greenland Drive. The entrances on the east side of campus along Rutherford Boulevard will be closed, and parking will not be permitted on either side of Rutherford Boulevard. The best parking on campus will be north and west of the celebration site and also in the new, large lot on the east side of Rutherford Boulevard.
The lots adjacent to the Recreation Center will be closed. MTSU police and university’s personnel will be on duty to help people to parking areas.
Rutherford Boulevard will be closed temporarily during the fireworks display and re-opened as soon as the area has been cleared. At the end of the evening, guests are asked to wait approximately 15 minutes before exiting the campus via MTSU Boulevard onto Rutherford Boulevard in order for officials to check for any fireworks that may not have detonated.
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.
Sodehxo, food vendor for the event, will sell soft drinks, pizza, hotdogs, and traditional holiday snacks and desserts.
Sponsors of the event include MTSU, The Daily News Journal, the City of Murfreesboro, Murfreeboro Parks and Recreation, Rutherford County Government, and Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to MTSU, the DNJ, and the City of Murfreesboro, additional symphony supporters include SunTrust Bank and the Tennessee Arts Commission.
A special “Celebration Under the Stars” publication will be inserted in the DNJ, providing a schedule of activities and a map of the celebration site.
Event organizers will share the spotlight that evening with WGNS-AM 1450 Radio and Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation, both of which are celebrating their 60th anniversary. Additionally, WMOT-FM, the MTSU station, is marking its 38th year on the air.
For more information about the celebration, call Marlane Sewell, steering committee chair, at 615-893-2141 or Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation at 890-5333 or MTSU News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.
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SIDEBAR to above story


JULY 4TH KICKS OFF WITH ‘ROCK THE POOL’ AT SPORTSCOM

Earlier in the day on July 4th, the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Aquatics Division will kick off the day’s celebration for the whole family with “Rock the Pool” at 10 a.m. at SportsCom, located at 2310 Memorial Boulevard.
There will be family-friendly music, games and contests, face painting and “tattoos,” and a concession stand offering hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza, chips and beverages.
At noon, there will be a pause in the festivities for the presentation of colors and playing of the national anthem.
The 50-meter outdoor pool at SportsCom has a high and low dive and a separate, shaded baby pool.
“Rock the Pool” will conclude at 4:30 p.m., in time for families to go home, change clothes and head to MTSU’s “Celebration Under the Stars.”
For more information, contact Sportscom at 615-895-5040.