Freedom Fest returns with a bang at Elmer Thomas Park

This year’s Freedom Fest will be lit up like the Fourth of July.

Held Friday and Saturday at Elmer Thomas Park, the 10th annual pre-Fourth of July festival will be “amazing.”

Jason Poudrier, Arts and Humanities Administrator for the City of Lawton, said there will be many interesting things happening, including, for the first time, Gurney Races and a Drone Show.

Teams of five will sign up to race gurneys along Third Street inside the park and receive prizes, Poudrier said.

The Drone Show will be contracted and orchestrated by Sky Elements.

“Sky Elements was recently on “America’s Got Talent” and got the Golden Buzzer,” Poudrier said. “They’re going to come to our show in July. In August, you’ll see them on AGT’s live show.”

Another thing happening is a Donut Dash, where contestants run, jog and/or walk to one station, eat a doughnut, then repeat, Poudrier said.

“Sign ups may be full, I don’t know, but you got to sign up at the Owens Center,” Poudrier said. “They have only 100 spots available and there’s doughnuts and running involved. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

As for the bounce houses, Poudrier said whoever is bouncing has to pay a $5 bouncing fee, unless the parents aren’t bouncing with their kids.

“That just helps offset the cost of renting over 20 bounce houses,” Poudrier said. Any money in addition to that goes back to supporting the festival.

The goal of the festival is to get more community involvement, Poudrier said.

“We have Walmart employees that are going to help us out with the Gurney Races,” Poudrier said. “When we have businesses and nonprofits get involved, it just helps to make the festival better for everybody.”

Poudrier said the city has big plans for the event.

“We want to continue to grow this as it’s already the largest firework show in Southwest Oklahoma,” Poudrier said. “We want it to be the largest festival in Oklahoma, to come and celebrate for two days in Lawton and really just attract people to Lawton Fort Sill.”

“This started off as a one-day celebration,” Poudrier said. “(Now we) can do two days of continuous entertainment with almost 50 vendors. It’s just going to be a great time.”