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Non-profit organization Celebrate Bristol is proud to announce the upcoming schedule for Bristol’s annual Star-Spangled Weekend. Each year the organization partners with local organizations for a slate of family friendly events to celebrate America’s Independence. This year’s event is scheduled for June 30 – July 2 and will include a traditional schedule and also introducing several new fun activities. Star-Spangled weekend occurs each July 4 weekend and provides free parade entry, food and music to all those in attendance due to the strong support of local sponsors. The featured musician’s for 2011 will be P.F. Flyers from Kingsport Tennessee, preceded by the ever-popular Bristol Virginia Senior Showchoir. While in Cumberland Square Park you can enjoy hot dogs, chips and water, great music, book-signings by local authors and children’s inflatables.

Back by popular demand will be the sanctioned AACA Antique Car Show at the Tri Summit Bank and a second year for Celebrate Bristol’s “Pet-riotic” Dog Contest at Cumberland Square Park at 2:00 pm. The contest is open to the public. There will be open registration at 1:00pm and proceeds will benefit the Bristol Tennessee-Virginia Police K-9 Units. Contact Justin Wiseman by e-mail bristolpetcontest@gmail.com for details. A new event will be the Celebrate Bristol Motorcycle Poker & Bug Run to be held following the Independence Parade at 11:30am at the new Rhythm & Roots office parking lot across State Street from the AACA Car Show.

Another new addition to Star-Spangled Weekend is sponsored by the Bristol Host Lions Club. Buy your ducky from a club member or at Minuteman Press and enter Bristol’s Rubber Duck Race scheduled after the parade at Cumberland Square Park. There will be 1,000 ducks available for this contest. The first prize is a new Schwinn Bicycle; second prize is a $100 Gas Card among other prizes. You don’t have to be present at the duck race to enter or win these great prizes. The Bristol Lion’s will also be giving Eye Screenings to those in attendance.

Star-Spangled Weekend officially begins on Thursday June 30 with Music & Movies in the Park, beginning at 6:30pm with music by Kids Our Age and a 9:00pm movie, Never Say Never with Justin Beiber. On Friday July 1 there is a evening events, beginning with the Celebrate Bristol Car Cruise-in in downtown Bristol, then, the popular street festival Border Bash put on by Believe in Bristol. It’s a great prelude to the Star-Spangled events on Saturday July 2, featuring the annual Independence Parade at 10am and food, children’s activities and music by P.F. Flyers at Cumberland Square Park at 11:30am. Entry to the parade is open to any organization. Line-up beings at 8:30am on Morrison Blvd in front of the Bristol Herald Courier business office.

The evening concludes with Celebrate Bristol Night at Gene Malcolm Stadium for the Bristol White Sox verses Burlington Royals, followed by Fireworks by Pepsi. Celebrate Bristol is expecting packed crowds to this year’s ballgame, which follows the largest attendance ever at the ballpark the past two years, with over 3,000 fans attending. Come early for the pie-eating contest at 6:30pm and the ballgame beginning at 7:00pm.

According to Tim Buchanan, chairman of Celebrate Bristol, “it’s the partnerships in Bristol that make successful celebrations happen”. He continued, “This weekend has something for every member of the family”. There’s nothing more American than baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, parades, antique cars, fireworks, and Bristol has it all for this year’s Star-Spangled Weekend.

It is because of the support of our sponsors that there is a Star-Spangled Weekend. Our Gold Sponsors include Electro-Mechanical Corporation, Shearer’s, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services, Bristol Virginia Utilities and the Cities of Bristol Tennessee and Virginia. Our media sponsors include Bristol Herald Courier & Citadel Broadcasting.

Visit our website, www.celebratebristol.com or our Facebook page, Celebrate Bristol VA-TN, for further details on Star-Spangled Weekend and other community events. Also catch us on Twitter, Cel_Bristolvatn.