Jasper City Council gives green light for 4th of July Festival at Sandy Creek Park

JASPER, Texas (KTRE) - When the Jasper City Council met Monday night, its members voted to allow the town’s annual Fourth of July Festival to be held at Sandy Creek Park.

Jasper City Manager Karen Pumphrey said they put the item on the agenda because of concerns about the COVID-19 virus. Many East Texas cities and towns have canceled their Fourth of July events and/or fireworks shows.

Pumphrey said that KJAS, the local radio station, will be putting on the Fourth of July Festival.

Debbie Foster with KJAS said they thought people needed a chance to get out and enjoy themselves after many people have been cooped up in their homes for several months. She said organizers are going to urge participants to follow social distancing guidelines as much as possible.

Foster said the family-friendly event will be spread out over a large area and added that Marvin Hancock Drive, which runs next to the park, will be blocked for the event.

According to a press release, the event will start at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 4. Still Cruisin’, a band from Beaumont, will start performing at 6 p.m. Foster said they perform a mix of hits, blues, zydeco, and pop music.

The fireworks show will start at 9:30 p.m.

The food vendors booths will include festival food like fresh-squeezed lemonade, Anthony Perkins Bar-B-Q, Rudy’s Pork-a-Bobs, Here’s the Scoop Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream, Southern Comfort hamburgers, sausage on a stick, Bear Country Concessions, funnel cakes, gator and boudin balls, and Vasquez honey.

“The festival will provide a free waterslide for the kids, so bring their swimsuits or something to get wet in,” the press release stated. “It’s sponsored by Wall to Wall in Newton and manned by the Jasper Fire Department and Advantage-Plus Home Care.”

The Fourth of July festival will also feature face painting, water balloon art, a watermelon eating contest, and the “infamous KJAS Hula Hoop Contest.”

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