Freedom Fire Spectacular to Illuminate Cache Valley
Freedom Fire opens with a bang to present Cache Valley’s largest Independence Day show at Utah State University’s Romney Stadium July 1 for Logan City’s annual celebration and firework display.
Grammy award-winning country music group Diamond Rio, known for hits such as “Meet in the Middle” and “Beautiful Mess,” will headline Freedom Fire this year.
In addition, a number of local performers will participate with the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra. Craig Jessop, dean of the Caine College of the Arts at USU, was appointed as the AFC artistic director and conductor with Cory Evans as associate director. The American Festival Chorus has brought together 270 talented singers from a 50-mile radius. The Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre will perform two numbers with the American Festival Orchestra.
More than 500 local youths will perform as part of John Jacobson’s America Sings!, a national, nonprofit choral program dedicated to educating and promoting the joys and opportunities of music. The American flag will be spread across the field by America Sings! performers and more than 300 scouts will carry individual American flags during the program.
“Celebrating the Fourth of July with Diamond Rio and talented song writer and producer John Jacobson will provide a spectacular performance experience for the AFC and everyone in attendance,” Jessop said.
The stadium crowd will also be entertained by local family band Dyer Highway, and the Old Lyric Repertory Company’s actors will perform a scene from “Little Shop of Horrors.”
USU Ballroom, African, Latino and Celtic dancers will dazzle with their rhythm and moves. And, the crowd will be treated to Jean’s Golden Girls, a group of more than 100 women between the ages of 50 and 93 years old, performing to modern hits, such as Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
The entire crowd, state representative and city council members will also bear witness as Cache Valley mayors take stage to pledge their dedication and support to U.S. military personnel and their families through the Community Covenant Program. This initiative, created in 2008 by the United States Army, is designed to reach out to all military service members across the United States. As part of the program, local elected officials chose to gather in a show of support for military service members and their families during the July 1 activities at Romney Stadium. A spectacular jet flyover provided by the Utah National Guard will also be included in the program.
To cap things off, Fireworks West and Al Burns will present a show unlike any other. Burns promises to deliver an unprecedented display to match the amazing program.
“This star-spangled event will light up the night sky and spark excitement in Logan for many years to come,” said Russ Akina, parks and recreation director for the city of Logan.
Gates open at Romney Stadium at 6 p.m. with the show beginning at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10 general admission and range from $25-45 for reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased at the Caine College of the Arts Box Office in Room 139-b of the Chase Fine Arts Center on the USU campus, online (http://arts.usu.edu) or by phone, (435) 797-8022.
The performance will not be broadcast live on radio.
The Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University seeks to make the arts more visible, innovative and integrated into the intellectual and cultural life of the communities served. By partnering with Logan City for the annual Fourth of July celebration, the Caine College of the Arts hopes to showcase the quality and talent of its students, faculty and staff while entertaining local residents and visitors.