People are gearing up for the inaugural 4th of July celebration in a southwest Iowa town.
Blues, Brews, and BBQ. That's the theme of the first 4th of July celebration event in Glenwood. Committee member Randy Romens was a special guest on the Dean and Don Show Wednesday morning, he says the event is a fundraiser for the Mills County Trails System.
"A couple years ago, people were sitting there talking about going on a bike trail." Romens said. "We really don't have anything leaving Glenwood. Then I started talking to other people and they said actually in Mills County we have the one trail, The Wabash Trace, which is an excellent, excellent thing and we'd like to get hooked up to that. Going up and down the highways and byways it's Iowa friendly, but it's not a fair fight with a bicycle. So we decided to try and get some trails going. Like anything else you need some money and this is sort of a grassroots thing trying to get it going."
Romens says the 4th of July celebration will kick off with a barbecue contest at 6:00 a.m.
"Mills County Farm Bureau is helping sponsor a cookout contest." Romens said. "There's six different categories and judging will go on later in the day and the winner of it goes to the Iowa State Fair and can compete at the State Fair. You can become best in the state just by starting in Glenwood."
Romens says at 12:01 p.m. a beer garden with the Iowa Craft Beer Tent will open.
"At the Iowa State Fair you've got the Iowa Craft Beer Tent." Romens said. "I've asked them if they would help run my beer garden for me so we're going to have the Iowa Craft Beer Tent there running a lot of local Iowa and Nebraska craft beers."
Romens adds a blues festival will start at 12:30 featuring five different bands.
"Starting with South Bend a local band from Glenwood." Romens said. "Then a couple of Omaha bands and then Shawn Holt & the Teardrops at the end of it. He's a fairly nationally known artist in the blues field. And after that will be fireworks."
All events will be held at the Glenwood Lake Park.