McKinney Red, White and Boom returns July 4 with fireworks, parade

Annual Killis Melton Ice Cream Crank Off to add some flavor to Chestnut Square on July 4

The McKinney free Red, White and Boom Independence Day event returns to downtown and Craig Ranch with festivities that will entice car enthusiasts, entertain children and will end with a dazzling fireworks display to commemorate the holiday.

Red, White and Boom events will begin at 10 a.m. with an antique car show that will be held until 4 p.m. and many cars are expected to be housed on the lot as the 2008 Red, White and Boom car show included more than 200 cars.

A patriotic parade that will include at least 35 participants will begin at 10:30 a.m. in downtown. A veterans salute will be held at the McKinney Performing Arts Center at 11:30 a.m. and thecar show will be held in the city of McKinney public parking lot in the former Collin County Courthouse facility at 210 S. McDonald St.

The parade route this year is different from last year's, which began at Finch Park and traveled along residential neighborhoods south of downtown. This year's parade will begin at the northeast corner of Hunt and Tennessee streets, near the Hall Memorial Library, and will then travel one block north to Lamar Street, then one block west to Kentucky Street, and will then head a few blocks to Louisiana Street, and will then travel one block east to Tennessee Street, and will head back north to Hunt Street.

At 5 p.m. on July 4 Red, White and Boom events will begin at the McKinney Soccer Complex at Craig Ranch on Alma Road, just north of State Highway 121. Those events include a concert with the Anna and McKinney area based rock band IMI, children's activities and a free fireworks show at sundown. The Red, White and Boom event is free to the public and last year's event brought in about 35,000 people. This year city officials are expecting 35,000 or more people to visit Craig Ranch and downtown McKinney.

For more information about the parade, call the McKinney Convention and Visitors Bureau office at 214-544-1407 or 888-649-8499, or visit  www.visitmckinney.com.

For general information about the Red, White and Boom event, which is sponsored by the city of McKinney, Craig Ranch and in part by the McKinney Community Development Corporation, visit the city's Web site www.mckinneytexas.org.

14th Annual Killis Melton Ice Cream Crank Off set for July 4 at Chestnut Square

The 14th Annual Killis Melton Ice Cream Crank Off will also return to downtown and will be held on July 4. This year it will be held in the Chestnut Square Historic Village, just two blocks south of Davis Street, immediately south of the former Collin County Courthouse.

The crank off will be held in front of the Dulaney House at Chestnut Square. Pre-registration is not required, and contestants should arrive by 8:30 a.m. with an ice cream freezer and pre-mixed ingredients for registration. Contestants should also bring 5 gallons of their flavor entry for tasting. Salt and ice will be furnished by event organizer and McKinney Main Street board member Clyde Geer. Judging will occur at 11 a.m.

The public can begin sampling ice cream flavors at noon. A minimum of $3 will be accepted in exchange for a wrist band that allows tasting at each tasting station. All proceeds from the sampling will benefit the McKinney Education Foundation in memory of Leslie Geer, Clyde Geer's daughter, and the Clyde and Doc's Ice Cream Churn Exhibit at Chestnut Square.

Visitors are urged to park in one of the many downtown parking lots and take the new McKinney Trolley, funded by the McKinney Community Development Corporation to Chestnut Square.  The Trolley will run a route around the McKinney parking lots on the quarter hour.  In addition to the Crank-Off, the Historic Downtown McKinney Farmers Market will take place at Chestnut Square 8 a.m. until noon.

For more information, contact Cindy Johnson at 972-562-8790 or emailinfo@chestnutsquare.org.  

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