Things to Do McKinney, Texas: Summer 2009

It's party time in July again for 2009 in McKinney, Texas! The thriving town is located just 30 miles north of Dallas, Texas and is a popular destination for people in the area looking for activities that are safe and fun for the family. The city of McKinney strives to provide a lot of programs and services that help create an extraordinary quality of life for the residents.

Here are some of the upcoming fun activities, celebrations and family friendly events taking place in July of 2009. You won't be disappointed with annual, traditional, and entertaining summer events such as fireworks displays to celebrate Independence Day, antique car show, air show, ice cream contest, parade, and jazz music in the park.

July 4^th Independence Day Celebration - Red White and Boom!

The second annual Red White and Boom! festival will be held on July 4^th, 2009. The 2-day festival will span across the town of McKinney, starting at the historic downtown square and wrapping up in the Craig Ranch area. The event aims to showcase all that the city has to offer, such as the natural beauty of the area, community spirit, and unique shopping and dining venues.

Craig Ranch and the City of McKinney are the main sponsors of the event, but the planning committee includes representatives from both public and private organizations and businesses. The sponsors and city council hope to continue the success of last year's celebration and make it an annual event that will bring residents of McKinney as well as neighboring visitors across the DFW metroplex together to celebrate and discover all the things the town has to offer.

The Red White and Boom! event starts on the morning of July 4^th, with activities beginning in the historic downtown area during the morning and then evening activities at the McKinney Soccer Complex at Craig Ranch. Activities include a parade, antique car show, 14th annual Killis Melton ice cream crank-off, sidewalk sales, kids' activities, veterans salute, crape myrtle trails tours, live music, air shows, and the largest fireworks display in the area.

The car show will give away over 100 awards for various car and truck categories. Prizes include $500 cash prizes for Best of Show Car and Best of Show Truck.

The Killis Melton ice cream crank-off will be held downtown at the Chestnut Square Historic Village. The cranking starts at 9:30 and judging will be at 11:30. Prizes will be given for Best in Category, Best Presentation, Tasters Best, Community Best, and Overall Best. If you want to sample all the the ice cream, public tasting starts at 12:00 and a donation of $3 gets you a wristband to taste all the flavors. Call 972-562-8790 for more details.

The parade starts at Finch Park, four block south of the Historic downtown area. For more details call 214-544-1407.

All Red White and Boom! activities are free and open to the public.

Jammin' in July - Music in the Park

Every Thursday night in July there will be live music at Towne Lake Park, presented by the McKinney Parks and Recreation department. The whole family can enjoy the sights and sounds of Towne Lake and listen to live music by a different group each Thursday night. Music and fun begin at 7:30 pm and end at 8:30 pm. Dates for 2009 are July 9, 16, 23, & 30. On July 9^th, music will be provided by Quebe Sisters. On July 16^th, music will be provided by Gumbo Kings. On July 23^rd, music will be provided by Havana NRG. On July 30^th, music will be provided by Alpen Musiktal.

Towne Lake is located at 1405 Wilson Creek Parkway. Towne Lake recreation area offers restrooms, picnic facilities, BBQ grills, pavilions, playgrounds, hike and bike trails, plenty of parking, volleyball and horseshoe courts, and a lake with a dock. You can call 972-547-2690 for more information on the Jammin' in July event or for more info on Towne Lake in general.

Source:

www.mckinneytexas.org