Live music, games, fireworks Sunday at 'Freedom Festival'

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Lorri Sughroue | Associate Editor

Bernardus is among three artists that will perform Sunday at the Freedom Festival.

Courtesy photo

McCOOK, Neb. — There will be something for all ages at the “Southwest Nebraska Freedom Festival” Sunday, June 30, from 5 to 9 p.m. at McCook Christian Church.

Hosted by McCook Christian Church, the festival is a family-friendly event to celebrate and honor those who serve and protect, said MCC pastor, Kyle Dellevoet. “It’s a way to celebrate those who make sacrifices every day for us,” he said.

Fire and police department members, as well as U.S. military personnel, will be honored at the event. Donations will also be taken up for a “K-9” police dog for the City of McCook police department.

Inspired by a similar event at the Third City Christian Church in Grand Island, Neb., the festival in McCook will have live music, several food trucks, inflatable equipment for kids, including a bungee trampoline, obstacle course and a 22-foot slide, a petting zoo and capping off with fireworks after dark at the Red Willow County fairgrounds.

“It’s an opportunity to give a great gift to the area, that civil servants feel honored and everyone has a great time,” Dellevoet said.

The celebration is a community wide effort, he said, with the McCook. Optimists and Deveny Motors donating funds for the fireworks, along with McCook Christian Church covering additional costs of the event.

And McCook businesses stepped up big time, Dellevoet said.

“It was phenomenal, I just didn’t have people tell us no,” he said, adding that city department heads were also very supportive, helping church volunteers navigate the logistics of staging the event.

Live music will be provided by the country singer Cotter Hill, the folk/country band, Bernardus, both of Nashville, Tenn., and the Brad Randel Band.

If successful, Dellevoet hopes the Freedom Festival is something the church can do every year for McCook.

“We hope it will be a blessing to the community….that people know that we care about Southwest Nebraska,” he said.

After all the organizational work is done, volunteers accounted for and set up is complete, there will be only one thing left to do: hope the weather cooperates.