By Kim McDarison 

Whitewater residents and those in the broader surrounding area once again were treated to a Fourth of July Festival spanning several days. 

In 2023, the festival commenced on Friday, June 30, and ended on Tuesday, July 4. 

Over the course of the five days, those celebrating the Independence Day holiday were offered opportunities to participate in carnival midway rides, civic food vendor booths, a beer tent, myriad live music performances, a car show, petting zoo and animal rides, Miss Whitewater Pageant, two opportunities to view fireworks, and a parade. 

Most of the event’s activities were held in the city’s Cravath Lakefront Park, with the parade, and its associated Whippet City Mile Run, taking place along several blocks within the city’s downtown, including Prince, Main and Whitewater streets. 

FAO reporters visited several events, with reporter Kim McDarison covering the parade, and freelance photographer Tom Ganser covering the Miss Whitewater Pageant and the petting zoo and animal rides. The animal-related activities were free to the public as part of Sunday’s “Family Day” and were provided with sponsorship from Generac. 

The Whitewater Fourth of July celebration comes with a long history, reaching back to a day when events were held in the city’s Starin Park. 

In 2000, a then-event organizer, Jean Mills, recently told Fort Atkinson Online, the celebration was moved to the city’s Cravath Lakefront Park. 

In 2004, information in the Whitewater Register reported, the celebration occupied three days, and continues to grow, offering both familiar staple events and new activities. 

In 2023, event organizer Lisa Dawsey Smith recently told Fort Atkinson Online, the event expanded into five days largely because of where the Friday preceding July 5 fell. 

“We always try to include a Friday acknowledging that some members of our community desire that,” Dawsey Smith said. 

According to information shared by this year’s event organizers, approximately 50 exhibits were entered into Tuesday’s parade. 

Streets were fully lined by members of the public, both young and old, as the array of colorful floats and marchers moved through the intersection of Main and Fremont streets. 

A photo album, including more than 60 photos of the parade, can be viewed by clicking the image below. 

Stories about the Miss Whitewater Pageant and animal-related activities sponsored by Generac will soon be published.