COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- For the first time in four years, the Clintonville July 4th Celebration returned to Whetstone Park. The event has been a staple in the community for many years, but it ended for good after the pandemic.
“Back in 2019 there was a group that had traditionally run our fireworks and the big community celebration. They had decided that they had put in 20 years and were ready to stop and at the same time the next year the pandemic hit,” says Cliff Wiltshire, the chairman for the Clintonville July 4th Celebration.
So after four years without the Independence Day event, Wiltshire and a few other people came together to bring back this much-loved community celebration. Throughout the day there was fun for the entire family, including a breakfast, a pet parade, a fishing derby, a bike decorating contest and a car show.
Wiltshire says neighborhood residents are happy to have this tradition back in their lives.
“We have people that grew up here. They’ve lived here their whole lives or have moved back so they remember even as little kids being part of the 4th of July celebration here in Clintonville,” says Wiltshire. This July 4th celebration has happened for decades. Clintonville resident Joe Motil says he loves coming to the festival now to reminisce on childhood memories and make new ones.
“It was just the place to come as a kid,” says Motil. “It was one of those things that you look forward to every summer.” Bernice Banks says she’s been taking her kids to the celebration since the 1960s and 1970s. She now has her grown kids and grandkids with her, and she hopes this event helps them understand how much Independence Day means to her.
“To me it means we need to remember all of our soldiers and sailors who lost their lives and the freedom that we have because of this holiday,” says Banks. In previous years the Clintonville celebration always had fireworks. It’s an expensive endeavor and organizers couldn’t set them off this year. They do hope the fireworks show can return in the future.
