Olive Branch, Mississippi Upgrades 4th of July Celebration

It's about that time! Time for fireworks and family parades and live music from local artists and enough family-friendly fun for all ages. The 4th of July is right around the corner and at least one city has significantly increased its budget in preparation for the event. Olive Branch, MS has doubled its amount of funding and is certain to double the amount of fun too. Billed as the *Largest Fireworks Show in the Mid-South*, this year's July 4th: Celebrate Your Independence at the Olive Branch City Park, should prove to be bigger and better than ever.

The fantastic display will be organized and managed by Pyro Shows Of LaFollette, TN. Pyro Shows provides professional pyrotechnic displays all over the United States and around the world. The company has traveled as far away as The United Arab Emirates to set up extraordinary firework performances. Each year, they fine-tune annual celebrations for cities as big as Washington, DC, Knoxville, TN and Jacksonville, FL .

The Olive Branch celebration is family-friendly and offers activities for both parents and kids to participate in while waiting for the big bang finale. Traditional fun, food, games and live music from local performers are all part of the bill. The first scheduled event is the family parade. Line-up at 6:30 and get ready to strut your Star-Spangled stuff. Show how proud you are to be an American together. The family that parades together stays together. Trick out those bikes, trikes and big wheels with red, white and blue streamers. Rig up those Red Rider wagons with Old Glory and wear your best Statue of Liberty crown. The parade starts and 6:45 and leads the way into the rest of the evening.

From 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, homegrown artists Don McMinn and NightTrain take the stage for two hours of Memphis flavored music. Papa Don and his crew had a hand in the rebirth of Beale Street. back in the mid-1908's. McMinn and his com padres played as the house band at the Rum Boogie Cafe on Beale Street for many, many years. Uniquely southern music, their songs are infused with a strong blend of Delta and Boogie Blues. International entertainers, McMinn and NightTrain are sure to rock a strong Memphis-groove building up to the event of the night.

Last but most certainly not least, the fireworks show is set to begin at 9:15 PM. Bring your blankets...your lawn chairs, picnic baskets and coolers and set a spell. The show is sure to be amazing. The weather forecast for Independence Day is looking good so far. The National Weather Service predicts partly cloudy conditions with a high of 94 degrees during the day. A 40% chance of thunderstorms is possible for the evening with a low of 75. Don't forget to bring the bug repellent. The pond in the park is sure to attract mosquitos even under favorable conditions. Olive Branch City Park is located at 9160 Goodman Road in Olive Branch, just down the street from the Olive Branch YMCA. There is an additional entrance to the park off of College Road as well. Admission to the festivities is free. For any further questions or concerns please contact Bill Cruthirds at bcruthirds@obms.us or 662-892-9200. Corporate sponsors of the sure-to-be-spectacular event include Bancorpsouth and Homer Skelton Ford.