Celebration, With a Dedication, Saturday July 4 on La Grange Courthouse Square
Fayette County will celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with a big celebration on Courthouse Square in La Grange on Saturday, July 4.
Last year, County Judge Dan Mueller launched a Fayette County Semiquincentennial Committee led by Chairman Larry Jackson.
“As Judge Dan Mueller often says, we are blessed to live in the best county in the best state in the best country in the entire world,” Jackson said. “And our celebration of America’s 250th birthday is the best, too.”
Mueller also appointed Michael Schlabach to plan the downtown celebration. Schlabach sat down with the Record this week to discuss the festivities.
“It’s the Birthday of America,” Schlabach said. “What it took for this country to succeed is a miracle. We’ve been through a Civil War, the American Revolution – when you think about it, it shouldn’t have happened. It took a lot, and it’s worth celebrating.”
Festivites will kick off the day before, on Friday, July 3, with a skydiving demonstration and fireworks at Frisch Auf! Valley Country Club (see more about that in the story on to the left).
Frisch Auf usually hosts a fireworks show for the Fourth of July. This year, Schlabach said the Semiquincentennial Committee teamed up with Frisch Auf to make the show even bigger and better.
“We’re basically doubling the size of the fireworks show,” Schlabach said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal.”
Then on Saturday, fes-tivities at the Courthouse will kick off at 5 p.m. The Daughters of the American Revolution will dedicate a plaque honoring Revolutionary War Veteran John Sorrell. Sorrell moved to Texas in his later years and was buried here in Fayette County.
A Patriotic Ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. with representatives from veterans organizations around the County. Schulenburg American Legion Post Commander Bob Heinrich will serve as master of ceremonies.
“It’s very important considering all the veterans we have in this community,” Schlabach said. “We need to honor them and show that we appreciate them, because if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have 250 years of America. That’s a fact.”
The program will include a posting of colors, National Anthem, speeches by County Judge Dan Mueller and District Judge Jeff Steinhauser, the Armed Forces Medley, a flag folding ceremony, 21gun salute and the playing of “Taps.” Kelly Blackwell will also announce the winners of the County-wide window decorating contest The Round Top Brass Band will perform patriotic songs during the ceremony and then continue their performance into the evening. At 7 p.m., Black Cat Choir will take the stage to perform rock and roll and popular music into the evening hours.
There will be food and drink vendors on site throughout the evening, along with a bounce house for the kids.
Schlabach said the celebration will take place at no expense to taxpayers. All expenses will be paid for with donations from the public. Schlabach also wished to thank his wife Miranda for helping to organize the event.