FoP to Light up the Sky July 1

PORTSMOUTH- Portsmouth’s premier festival organization, Friends of Portsmouth, is ready to welcome Independence Day once again this July with the launch of its Annual Light up the Sky event on July 1 at Spartan Stadium.

The group is known for hosting large festivals and events, from record-breaking achievements to Winterfest, Glocktoberfest and Festifall to River Days. The group stays active all year long developing opportunities for downtown Portsmouth and the surrounding region. Light up the Sky is their effort to celebrate the Fourth of July in a big way.

“We absolutely love hosting this event. We love the tradition and are glad we can keep it going. It has been a lot of fun every year we’ve done it so far. I know there are a lot of fireworks opportunities, but, to have one in our community is important,” Executive Director Bryan Smith said. “For one, it is celebrating such a historical day for us and our freedoms. For us to have this each year is awesome. When you see the kids’ faces, it is obvious we are creating memories.”

The event will feature live music, events for kids, and food.

“We will have a lot of stuff going on. We will have a lot of vendors. We will have food and food trucks. We have inflatables and a waterslide. It may be warm, so we will have a tent for shade and eating. Southern Ohio Jelly Ball will be there, alongside many activities and tents,” Smith said. “We will have a lot for people to do while they listen to music and wait for fireworks to begin.”

Entrance to the Spartan Stadium is free for those under the age of 18 and only $5 for those above. This is to cover the expense of the event and Smith says there are ample opportunities for those just wishing to see the fireworks.

“Of course, it is free for those 17 and under. Anyone over will have to pay the $5, but, if they don’t want to come inside the stadium, you can watch it from Shawnee State University with a great view, from the levy, or the river,” Smith explained. “There are plenty of opportunities to see the fireworks display.”

The musical acts were reduced from a daylong activity to evening in order to put a greater emphasis on evening activities with spirited music and more condensed festivities.

Luvdisk will open the evening at 6:30 p.m. and the Courtney Jo Band will perform from 8:30 until 10 p.m.

“We had a lot more acts in previous years, but there is so much setup and breakdown involved,” Smith explained. “We wanted to streamline things more and give a greater opportunity to local performers, so we reduced it to two bands and increased their stage time.”

Fireworks will begin at 10 p.m., when Courtney Jo Band ends their setlist.

Light up the Sky is the first big event for Friends of Portsmouth this year and will quickly roll into River Days, Glocktoberfest and Festifall, and then Winterfest.

For now, Smith is focused on Light up the Sky and says it will be a great event.

“Planning is going really well. We always get ahead of the game pretty early,” Smith said. “I book most of our stuff six months to a year out and we’re looking pretty good for this year and next year is coming along nicely.”

To stay updated on events and information related to the organization, follow them on Facebook or visit their website at www.friendsofportsmouth.com To sponsor the event, ask questions, or contact someone at Friends of Portsmouth, email [email protected] or call 740.354.7711.