Celebrating America’s courage and freedom.
Perhaps no other single event brings Jefferson City, and its surrounding communities, together in a sense of civic pride than the Salute to America Fourth of July celebration. While the annual event offers participants great food, loads of fun, amazing fireworks, and a chance to meet and mingle, the celebration’s real purpose is to observe Independence Day and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by those who fought, and continue to fight, for the nation’s freedom. Samantha Schwartz, Salute to America’s event coordinator, echoes this sentiment.
“Salute to America provides an avenue for the local community to come together in celebration of the Fourth of July holiday and all it stands for,” she says. “At the same time, it offers attendees an array of entertainment and activities to enjoy as part of the holiday celebration.”
“This is our Capitol’s celebration, and the Capitol itself should, and will, be the focal point of the festival this year.”
— SAMANTHA SCHWARTZ
Billed as Mid-Missouri’s largest Fourth of July celebration, Salute to America fills the streets of downtown Jefferson City with games, music, a parade, a beer garden, food and craft vendors, and more. The festival draws thousands of visitors not only fromJefferson City and surrounding areas but from throughout the state — some taking Amtrak to the capital city to gaze at the incredible fireworks, which are considered to be the event’s highlight.
“Salute to America is a spectacular tradition full of concerts, fireworks, food, and fun,” says Diane Gillespie, executive director of the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau. “As the capital city, it’s wonderful to host an amazing event that brings people together to celebrate and spend time together.”
Spanning eight city blocks near the Missouri State Capitol building, Salute to America is free to the public and takes place rain or shine. While usually a multi-day event, this year’s activities will be a single-day celebration on July 4, and it’s expected to draw more than 10,000 people.
“This year’s festival footprint was put within the blocks that immediately surround the Capitol,” Samantha says. “This is our Capitol’s celebration, and the Capitol itself should, and will, be the focal point of the festival.”
That hasn’t been the only change. The parade, which typically kicks off the holiday festivities, was scheduled for the morning of July 4, as opposed to the day before as in years past. Other events scheduled throughout the day include a 5k run, a classic car show, a community bike ride, and a chalk art contest. While there are no carnival rides, the celebration offers a kids zone that features magic, balloon animals, face painting, inflatables, crafts, books, and yard games. And as always, the phenomenal fireworks are shot off over the Missouri River on the north side of the Capitol, providing excellent viewing opportunities from multiple vantage points throughout the city.
“Salute to America provides an avenue for the local community to come together to celebrate the Fourth ofJuly holiday and all it stands for.”
— SAMANTHA SCHWARTZ
Jefferson City has hosted the community Fourth of July festival for more than 20 years thanks to a group of passionate locals who banded together to plan a way to promote patriotism, celebrate Independence Day, and provide a boost to the local economy. Many of the same components of that first event remain staples of the annual event today. The city’s Independence Day tribute is now governed by the Salute to America Foundation, an educational organization headquartered in Jefferson City. The foundation’s 13-member board meets monthly and is comprised of a wide range of civic leaders and community volunteers, including the city’s mayor and the head of the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau. With Samantha as the organization’s only paid staff member, it stands to reason that it takes a village to pull off a successful event year after year. Some services, such as the fireworks display, audio/visual equipment, and food and merchandise vendors, are contracted, but much of the work falls to volunteers, community partners, and sponsors.
“Salute to America would not be possible without the support of our incredible volunteers, community partners, and private sponsors,” says Samantha, who estimates it takes about 50 volunteers to plan, organize, and oversee the event’s operations from its beginning to its big bang conclusion.
She says many of the volunteers return year after year, but Salute to America is always looking for new people who would like to help. And, it’s all hands on deck. Samantha says the bulk of the celebration’s funding comes from local sponsors, who are key to ensuring Salute to America remains a viable experience year after year. Community partners, including the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Jefferson, Cole County, the State of Missouri, and Mid-Missouri media outlets, work together with the private sector to deliver a well-organized, multi-faceted event. Other entities that lend a helping hand include the Jefferson City police and fire departments, the Thomas Jefferson Division Sea Cadets, and the Central Missouri Carpenter’s Union.
“I’ll consider the event a success if people leave realizing how big of a production this is, how many people it really takes to put it on every year, and how much they give by donating their time, energy, and money on their day off ,” Samantha says.
