Special events in and around arthur...
"The Heart of the Illinois Amish Country"

Arthur's Freedom Celebration and Fireworks
                      June 28th, 2008

The birthday celebration for the United States takes on special meaning around Arthur.

Crowd picture of the Arthur fireworks provide by TheTintype.comOn the Saturday afternoon and evening closest before the 4th, crowds estimated in 2006 at over 30,000 people flock to the fairgrounds on the south edge of Arthur to gain a good vantage point to enjoy the activities. Food stands, the end of a baseball tournament, an air show, skydivers, and in 2006, a "F-115 stealth fighter" fly over brought the crowd to it's feet. The Air Show will precede the fireworks and will feature the WW II T-6 aircraft and Skydivers from Mid-America Sport Parachute Club from Taylorville, Illinois with the final skydiver bringing in the American Flag. Back this year is Central Illinois Air from Mattoon offering Helicopter rides on site beginning at approximately 4:00pm with a cost of $ 20.00 per person.

Amish Country's "Rural Patriot" provide by thetintype.comBut these are just a prelude to one of the biggest fireworks displays in central Illinois. A continuous barrage of aerial displays including some of the biggest shells available in the country fill the night sky. And when the "Rural Patriot" makes his ride across 500 feet or more of flowing ground displays, people cheer.

While the Fireworks Amish Children Watching a ParadeSpectacular is held on the closest Saturday before the 4th, Arthur celebrates the 4th itself with parades and games. The traditional American Parade kicks off at about 10am so if you are in the area, find a spot downtown and enjoy the scene. Afterwards, if you want to relax, plan a picnic in one of our parks and watch a baseball game.

Fireworks 2007 Event Maps page. We get quite a crowd for this event so you might want to plan ahead for parking and viewing locations. While the fireworks and displays are free if you walk in, contributions are taken as you leave if you enjoyed the show to fund future displays and to support the Arthur Rotary Club projects.  In addition, please note that many parking areas do have a specific charge to park. Check the Maps Page

May 5, 2007 Fireworks Press Release


Check The June and July Events Calendar for this years dates.