No sooner have we kicked off the summer festivities in Rolla with the Route 66 Summerfest, the 75th Anniversary of the Rolla Lions Club Carnival is just around the bend. You will know that the 4th of July is getting closer when you start seeing the caravan of trucks and carnival rides setting up in Lions Club Park on 1061 South Bishop Avenue, along with all the tents, vendors, and hundreds of Lions Club volunteers who help make the Lions Club Carnival one of the most iconic, memorable events of the year in Rolla.
This four-day carnival, which unites friends and family from years’ past, and attracts thousands of visitors throughout South Central Missouri, begins Thursday, July 1 and runs through Independence Day, Sunday, July 4. Organizers of the Lions Club Carnival always incorporate the July 4th holiday in the festival, because it is the cornerstone of the carnival’s history. So whenever you are thinking about the 4th of July weekend, America’s Independence, our men and women serving in the Armed Forces in the U.S. and abroad, and family celebrations, you can simultaneously think of Lions Club Carnival. I hope to see everyone there!
What is truly unique and uplifting about the Lions Club Carnival is that it is coordinated, planned and operated by the members of the Rolla Lions Club who volunteer numerous hours of sweat equity (no exaggeration here) to ensure all the game, food and drink booths are staffed, and that the Midway (carnival rides), new car raffle, and fireworks display(s) are ready to go.
This year the Rolla Lions Club will be raffling off a new 2010 Chevy Camaro, and the winner of the car will be announced on the evening of July 4 at midnight. The carnival midway opens at 7 p.m. every night. Wrist band nights (one price gets you unlimited entrance to all rides) are Thursday, July 1 and Saturday, July 3. There will also be a matinee on Saturday, July 3 from 1-4 p.m., when wrist bands also will be available. Two outstanding fireworks displays will be held during the Rolla Lions Club Carnival on Friday, July 2 at 11 p.m. and on Sunday, July 4 at 11 p.m. The matinee on Saturday, July 3 will be featuring some retro pricing at the hamburger and cotton candy stands. The evening session on July 3 will begin with a concert at 5:45 p.m. by the Missouri Lions All State High School Band. They will be playing for about 45 minutes in front of the fountain in the park. Everyone is invited to attend this performance. For more information, please call 573.364.4386.
Another big event that is just around the corner is the American Solar Challenge, which is a 1,200-mile solar car race throughout the Midwest that our own Missouri S&T students will be participating in. Rolla was fortunate once again to be included among one of the stages of the race, which starts tomorrow, June 20 in Broken Arrow, Okla., and ends June 26 in Naperville, Ill. The solar car teams will be arriving in Rolla sometime around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 23, and the public is invited to view their arrival, cheer on the teams, and participate in the festivities planned that day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Missouri S&T campus next to the Gail Bullman Multipurpose building (located at the corner of Bishop Avenue and 10th Street). The teams will spend the night in Rolla and depart the next morning on Thursday, June 24 at 9 a.m. for the next leg of the race. The entire community is welcomed and encouraged to stop by during the above times listed and be part of the American Solar Challenge festivities!
In closing I’d like to remind everyone that Rolla City Hall will be closed on Monday, July 5 in observance of the Independence Day Holiday. The Rolla City Council meeting, normally held on the first Monday of the month, will be held on Wednesday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (901 N. Elm Street). It was necessary to schedule the City Council meeting on Wednesday, July 7 instead of Tuesday, because Rolla Municipal Court will be held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
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