Ann Trueblood-Stiles enjoys the Lima Area Concert Band during Tuesday’s Star Spangled Spectacular at Faurot Park.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA — Whether it was running a 5K, catching a fish, admiring a classic American muscle car or listening to patriotic music from the Lima Area Concert Band, this year’s Star-Spangled Spectacular gave area residents the opportunity to come together and celebrate the birth of our nation.
That celebration came amid clear skies as the smoke from Canadian wildfires has been dissipating over the past several days. According to AccuWeather.com, the air quality index for Lima was still rated poor at 56, but it was an improvement over numbers closer to 200 last week. Instead, attendees had to contend with warm temperatures, as the daytime high reached 89 degrees with a heat index reaching the mid-to-upper 90s, according to AccuWeather.com.
Participants in the Freedom 5K were able to get ahead of the heat Tuesday morning, their route taking them from Faurot Park through downtown Lima, complete with water breaks provided by Friends of Lima.
For those who looked to enjoy a slightly less strenuous activity, a kids’ fishing derby at Faurot Park allowed families to enjoy some downtime by the water, catch or no catch. Food trucks also gave attendees the chance to enjoy some delicious food while celebrating at the park. A cruise-in also gave attendees the opportunity to celebrate America’s founding while admiring some of the great vehicles from throughout America’s automotive manufacturing history.
The evening culminated with a performance from the Lima Area Concert Band as they performed a repertoire celebrating the American spirit. That concert was set to finish with a bang, literally, with the traditional fireworks display.
Speaking before the event, Mike Carpenter, one of the members of the Star-Spangled Spectacular’s organizing committee, noted that, while the event is still working to get back to the level it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, the event had a great deal to offer area families.
“You don’t have to just stay at home and get bored on the Fourth of July,” he said. “I think it’s great that we were able to add some things back because last year, we didn’t have the food trucks, fishing derby or the car cruise-in, so people wondered what they could do all day. We don’t have everything back like kids’ rides or baseball games, but we do have enough activities that hopefully will bring people out to have a good time.”
