The summer’s last public fireworks display, along with more live music, food and vendor options, plus rides and several other attractions will all be available to the public this weekend during the Leesburg Fall Festival.
Organized by the Leesburg Lions Club, the festival was formerly a mid summer attraction but was moved back to September this year in hopes of attracting a larger crowd. It will be held Friday through Sunday.
If the festival goes well this weekend it will continue to be held in coming years on the third weekend in September, according to Leesburg Lions Club President Angel Greenlee.
The fireworks will begin at 10 p.m. Saturday. Greenlee said they will be launched from a farm field near the village. “Anywhere in Leesburg, people should be able to see them,” Greenlee said. “They’re going to be pretty much right over top of the village.”
The fireworks are being presented by the Luminex Home Decor and Fragrance Company, formerly known as Candle-Lite.
But fireworks are far from the only attraction. There will be rides for the first time ever, Greenlee said, more food selections and a lot more vendors.
“There will be more than 30 vendors – that’s a change from the four or five we had in the past – and this will be the first year we had so many different types of music. In the past it was all country or something like that, but we have added some rock to try to attract the younger crowd,” Greenlee said.
The festival will run from 5-11 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to after 10 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to around 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Greenlee said Friday will be country music night, Saturday will feature rock n’ roll music, and Sunday will be mostly southern rock.
“We appreciate the support of the community as we try to grow the festival,” Greenlee said. “We’re looking forward to it and will be growing it again for next year.”
Following is a look at the festival schedule:
Friday, Sept. 15
5 p.m. – Opening ceremony
5:15 p.m. – Ciara Colwell sings the national anthem
6 p.m. – Sean Poole & Hickory Lane
8 p.m. – High school pageant
9 p.m. – Blue Steel
Saturday, Sept. 16
8 a.m. – 5K Pumpkin Relay
9 a.m. – Leesburg Lions pancake breakfast
9 a.m. – 3-on-3 basketball tourney
10 a.m. – Alexis Tompkins
10:30 a.m. – Junior beauty pageant
Noon to 2 p.m. – Open mic
2 p.m. – Leesburg Festival Parade
2:30 p.m. – 3G karate demo
3 p.m. – Leesburg Lip Sync Battle
4 p.m. – Cory Breath
6 p.m. – Sundae Drive
8 pm. – Highball
10 p.m. – Boom Over the ‘Burg
Sunday, Sept. 17
11 a.m. – Car show registration
Noon – Blood & Water
1 p.m. – 4 Given
2 p.m. – Warren Butler Band
4 p.m. – Car show awards
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or [email protected].
