By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — A significant sprucing up of the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds is nearly complete.
Mike Loher, who heads up the ML Community Impact Alliance, announced plans for a series of improvements a few weeks ago and said much of the work is now done, thanks to in-kind donations and community support totaling nearly $100,000.
All of that is happening ahead of Kosciusko Freedom Fest, a celebration of America’s 250th birthday, which arrives in less than two weeks.
Supporting the upgrades has been led by the relatively new alliance.
Support has come from various groups, including Core Mechanical, which fabricated, powder-coated, and installed all the new handrails in the grandstand, and Super Seal, which seal-coated and striped the main drive, Loher said.
Freedom Fest arrives June 5, 6, and 7, with most of the events at the fairgrounds.
Activities will include historical reenactments, patriotic celebrations, a concert, and a parade.
All events, except for the concert, are free. The Freedom Fest website calendar also lists rlated events acoss the county leading up to the Fourth of July weekend.
Loher talked with News Now Warsaw while another man was spreading limestone on Saturday morning.
“We have got over 500 tons of limestone donated and did a lot of driveway repairs and then also asphalt millings,” Loher said. “We’ve redone the west driveway, the east driveway through the 4H … I’d say about 98% of the drives out here have been repaired.”
Volunteers have also done a lot of mowing. They regraded the track and also seeded areas near the track. Other areas have also been cleaned up.
“It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than it was,” Loher said.
He said participants in the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office J-CAP program and those associated with Serenity House have helped out.
About 30 vendors have been lined up, and organizers are no longer accepting applications. Vendors include some of the longtime tenants of the fairgrounds, he said.
He also said plans are coming together for the veterans’ ceremony, which will include a massive US flag on display and an Air Force flyover that will happen early Saturday afternoon on June 6.
He said that working to secure an air force base needed for the flyover was a bit of a challenge.
“There are a lot of crazy things going on in the world right now, and a lot of our military guys are out doing their thing. So it was a little bit of a struggle to find an air base that was able to participate,” he said.
With less than two weeks before the start, Loher sounded optimistic about local plans to celebrate the country’s birthday, which will culminate nationally on the Fourth of July.
“I’m feeling really good. Things are starting to come together nicely,” he said.
He said they’re seeking more parade applicants.
The parade starts at 10 a.m., June 6.
“We’re going to start the parade on West Center Street out by the street department. It’ll continue on Center Street through downtown Warsaw, and then it’ll turn on Bronson Street and come right into the main (fairgrounds) entrance, Loher said.
Plans by Loher to oversee the three-day event began before he broke his wrist a few months ago. He says it’s been a blessing and a curse as the event grows slower.
The injury has healed more slowly than expected.
“Obviously, with my broken arm, I’ve not been able to do a lot. But other than to orchestrate the different groups.
No slowing down, though.
“It’s go-time. There are a lot of things happening,” he said.
