Fourth of July celebrations

planned by communities

NU, Sleepy Eye,

Hanska, Cambria,

Harkin Store,

Ft. Ridgely

host programs

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- A wide variety of July Fourth events will take place this week in New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Cambria, Hanska, the Harkin Store and at Fort Ridgely State Park.

New Ulm

The Wendinger Brothers, Moldan Band, Adam's Jammers, the Concord Singers and Stab Carda will perform Friday at Turner Park between 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Food and beverages will be available.

Sleepy Eye

Events kickoff Thursday evening at Sleepy Eye Arena with a street dance from 8 p.m. until midnight. Music will be provided by the Sleepy Eye rock band "Blank." A hamburger stand opens at 5:30 p.m. followed by a beer garden at 6 p.m.

An ice cream social, bingo, egg and water balloon tosses and other games will be held Friday in Allison Park. A buffalo burger feed will be held from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. The Sleepy Eye Honor Guard will provide a flag-raising ceremony at noon followed by old-time and country music.

A fireworks display, sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, begins at 10 p.m. over Sleepy Eye Lake. St. Mary's football team members will collect donations during the show. Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 382, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085.

Cambria

A parade starts at 1 p.m. at the west end of town. A patriotic program begins at 2 p.m. in the new town hall. Cambria natives Randall Harder and David Edwards will participate.

Josh Randall, Danielle Deopere and Courtney Kokesch will give performances and patriotic readings. Sara McGuire will give a multi-media presentation on the meaning of citizenship. Pianist Georg Marti will lead a roof-raising community sing-a-long followed by a Community Fund fancy cake auction.

Old-time events and a food stand will be open in the park. Evening events include a father, son and daughter baseball game at 7 p.m. and fireworks at dusk.

Hanska

A 16-team co-educational softball tournament with unique Norwegian rules in the hard luck bracket, begins in the park at 9 a.m. Friday and will continue through Sunday.

Fireworks, sponsored by the Hanska Baseball Association and Hanska Fire Department, begin at dusk Friday at the ball park. Food and beverages will be sold at the ball park.

Raffle drawings for 45 cash prizes of more than $2,600 will be held Sunday afternoon in the park. Only 750 tickets will be sold. They will be available at the ball park concession stand until they are sold out.

Fireworks donations can be mailed to the Hanska Baseball Association, P.O. Box 179, Hanska, MN 56041 or left at the concession stand throughout the weekend.

Fort Ridgely State Park

The "Glorious Fourth" celebration will take place from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Events include a reading of the Declaration of Independence, a cannon-firing demonstration by the New Ulm Battery, period music, a 19th century-style baseball game, contests for all ages and refreshments.

The Quicksteps baseball team from St. Paul will wear period uniforms and play by 1858 baseball rules against an area team of ballplayers known as the New Ulm Defenders. Game time is 2:30 p.m. People wishing to play should call Randy Krzmarzick at 794-2382.

The game resembles softball a bit more than baseball. There are no called strikes. A ball that bounces once is still an out. The ball is rather mushy, resembling something between a hacky-sack and a baseball.

Fort Ridgely's story is told with a video and exhibits in the park interpretive center and foundations of the buildings that formed the government post. The park is located on State Highway 4, 6 miles south of Fairfax.

A state park sticker or daily fee is required. For more information, call 507-426-7888, 1-800-657-3773 or visit www.mnhs.org

Harkin Store

The Minnesota Valley Lutheran Brass Band and members of the New Ulm Battery will take part in a parade at 1 p.m. Other afternoon activities include a cannon salute by the New Ulm Battery, speech by Charles Griebel (whose ancestors lived in West Newton), a patriotic concert by the Brass Band, accordion playing by Bob Anderson of St. James, buggy rides and cannon firing demonstrations until 4 p.m.

For more information, call the Harkin Store at 354-8666 or the Nicollet County Historical Society 934-2160. The Harkin Store, which is operated by the Nicollet County Historical Society, is located nine 9 northwest of New Ulm on Nicollet County Highway 21.