The Evansville Freedom Festival was an annual festival in

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

that celebrates the

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

. What began in 1970 with only a handful of events has grown to include unlimited boat racing, airshows, food booths, dances, and music culminating with a fireworks show over the Evansville riverfront. From 1979 to 2008, the

Thunder on the Ohio :''Also see: Sports in Evansville''. Thunder on the Ohio was a hydroplane boat race in the H1 Unlimited season. Thunder was held each year on the Ohio River in downtown Evansville, Indiana, United States. Evansville had hosted Thunder on the ...

hydroplane races had been the signature event of the Evansville Freedom Festival. Thunder was typically the first official race of the

American Boat Racing Association H1 Unlimited is an American Unlimited Hydroplane racing league that is sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association (APBA). Until 2009, the series was known as ABRA Unlimited Hydroplane, in turn renamed from APBA Unlimited Hydroplane in 2004. ...

season. In 2009, Thunder on the Ohio broke away from Evansville's Freedom Festival and moved to the end of August as a stand-alone event. Thunder still draws boats and drivers from all over the country as well as some local favorites. The

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Blue Angels The Blue Angels is a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy.

have been an added attraction in recent years. The Blue Angels were part of the Freedom Festival's air show in both 2001 and 2005. In 2011, the Freedom Festival became the ShrinersFest, as it is now run by the local Hadi Temple.

References

Festivals in Evansville, Indiana Independence Day (United States) festivals {{US-festival-stub

See also

References