Star-Spangled fun

Published 8:00 am Friday, July 6, 2018

It was red, white and blue as far as the eye could see Wednesday in downtown Columbus, as the town hosted its 56th annual Fabulous Fourth of July festival to celebrate Independence Day. Hundreds — many clad in patriotic apparel — packed Mills Street and Stearns Park that day to enjoy some fair food, rides, live music and other family-friendly fun. The day was capped off with a giant fireworks show. (Photos by Ted Yoakum/Tryon Daily Bulletin)

Mills Street was transformed into a gigantic thoroughfare that day, with different vendors setting up shop to sell food, sweets and crafts.

Among the food vendors on site Wednesday included Landrum’s Southside Smokehouse, which sold po’boy sandwiches.

Coopers Gap Baptist Church also sold homemade ice cream to visitors looking to cool off from the July heat.

Children could also receive temporary tattoos.

There were also several games and activities for the youth to enjoy inside the park.

Several musicians took to the temporary stage set up on Mills Street to serenade audiences walking by or sitting on the Polk County Courthouse lawn that day, including Michael Crisp and Carrie Morrison.

At Stearns Park, children and their parents could hop on one of several rides, including a Ferris wheel, carousel and mechanical bull.

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