BELTON, Texas — There will be plenty of options to celebrate the 4th of July in Central Texas.
“It's the flavor of Belton. It’s who we are as a people. We like to celebrate our patriotism,” said Belton Area Chamber of Commerce President, Randy Pittenger.
In Belton, they will be celebrating with their annual Fourth of July rodeo, a carnival, plenty of barbecues and the annual Fourth of July parade.
“We filled the street with some 30,000 people for the parade. That’s more people than who live in the City of Belton,” Pittenger said.
Down the road in Killeen, they are throwing an extravaganza with fireworks, food, games and more.
“It’s only the second time the city of has had a firework show and it’s officially the biggest firework show in Central Texas. You will see,” said Killeen Communications Executive Director, Janell Ford.
While the holiday weekend it’s all about the red, white and blue, financial expert Ray Perryman said several cities will see a lot of green.
“Basically about 60 percent of Americans do some type of celebration for the Fourth of July. On average, they spend $275-$300 a person doing that,” said The Perryman Group, Ray Perryman.
Event organizers said all that money ultimately helps promote local businesses.
“Thousands of people are coming into town and discovering new restaurants, new shops and things that they can do. What that does is encourage them to come back,” Pittenger said.
It also helps the community.
“The sales tax helps our citizens as a whole because it goes back into our local government. It goes back into our budget. That means we can do more things for the citizensw," Ford said.
Unfortunately, the grills will not be the only thing burning this weekend. The hot temperatures could impact attendance at these festivities, that’s why event organizers are planning.
“We’re going to have hydrogen stations and we’re going to have misting stations as well and there’s a lot of shaded areas,” Ford said.
Event organizers say drink plenty of water, remember to take breaks in shaded areas and have a fun and safe holiday.
