08/26/2026
We Want to Hear From You 🇺🇸❤️
We love our community, and we LOVE celebrating the 4th of July in Chariton. But we also want to have an honest conversation about the future of our celebration.
Our 4th of July committee is running on fumes. 😅 These events take a lot of time, money, planning, volunteers, and behind-the-scenes work to make happen — and we want to find a way to continue celebrating our community that is sustainable for the people who make it happen.
One idea we’re considering is simplifying the celebration and focusing on some of the traditions that make the 4th special:
🇺🇸 Fireman’s Breakfast (Thank you firefighters & crew!)
🏃 Kiwanis Kiddie Races (A tradition that our kids kids are not participating in!!)
🥇Flying Anvil 5K (Johnson Machine Works hosts this!)
🎆 Parade & Fireworks
Another idea that has been brought up is adding a separate community celebration on a different weekend. This could give us an opportunity to bring back some of the special activities, entertainment, vendors, family activities, and other things that are difficult to coordinate for the 4th of July holiday.
But before we make any decisions, we want to hear from you!
What do you look forward to most? What would you miss? What do you think makes Chariton’s 4th of July special?
And one important reminder as we open up this conversation: please be kind. ❤️ We welcome honest opinions, ideas, and constructive suggestions, but we ask that comments stay respectful and thoughtful. There are real people behind this event who volunteer their time because they care deeply about this community.
And one question we know will come up, the carnival. 🎡 We hear you, but getting a carnival to come to town over the 4th of July holiday is extremely difficult, and options are very limited. So please leave that one off the suggestion list. 😉
We want to keep celebrating Chariton and creating memories for our families for years to come. We just want to find the right way to do it, together. 🇺🇸❤️
So tell us what you think below! 👇
