Mt. Morris celebrates July 4 with parade, breakfasts, and water fights

MT. MORRIS – Mother Nature played nicely with village officials July 3-4 for the annual Let Freedom Ring festival.

Sunny skies and temperatures in the 90s greeted visitors to the events on Monday and Tuesday.

“We had 61 entries in our parade this year,” said Keith Avey, organizer of the Kiddie Parade on Monday evening. “That’s more than we’ve had in previous years.”

After the block-long parade, kids lined up for the Mt. Morris Fire Department’s ‘water fights” where participants use water hoses to try and push a rubber ball past their opponent.

Tuesday morning events included two pancake breakfasts – one at the fire station and the other at the Ogle County Airport, just west of town.

Both breakfasts ran from 7-11 a.m. serving large crowds. Kids at the fire station could also sit in and climb on fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.

At the Fly-in, Drive-In Breakfast, members of the Ogle County Pilots were busy cooking eggs, pancakes and sausage while visitors could visit with owners of aircraft that flew in for breakfast.

Jenny, a 1918 replica airplane, created, owned and operated by Vintage Wings & Wheels Museum in Popular Grove, was a crowd favorite.

“It’s cool to have an event like this in the community,” said Shane Pope who visited the breakfast with his wife, Kayla and three children.

At 2 p.m., the parade stepped off with about 45 entries taking part followed by fireworks at dusk.