Oxford kicks off Independence Day celebrations with annual car show and parade
The Masonic Lodge Car and Bike Show took place on June 28, with the Freedom Festival Parade following shortly after.
Chevrolets, Camaros, Corvettes and other car models lined High Street as locals walked through Uptown, admiring vintage and original vehicles. Food vendors and trucks occupied the street, selling lemonade, hot dogs, snow cones and more for attendees at the car show. Children splashed in the foundations, keeping cool in the summer heat.
This year’s Masonic Lodge Car and Bike Show was held on June 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the Oxford Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) Freedom Festival Parade starting shortly after at 5 p.m.
The gates opened for registrants at 9 a.m., and the car show officially kicked off at 10 a.m. with a performance by local band The Highway 61 Revisited. Turnable, another local band, performed at 1 p.m. Judging of the cars for awards started at 2 p.m., and the winners were revealed shortly after. Winners for raffles and Split-The-Pot were also announced.
Trophies were awarded to first, second and third-place winners, and TOP 50 plaques were given to the top 50 entries. One car with a Show & Shine calendar displayed on its dashboard was given a Show & Shine calendar.
Kate and Steve Luken, one of the TOP 50 winners, have received awards both times they’ve attended the car show. This year, they brought a 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS and a 2014 Camaro.
“It's just fun,” Kate said. “I mean, these cars are history, and they should be seen.”
After the awards were announced, Turnable continued its show, performing covers of “Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting” by Elton John and “Two Tickets to Paradise” by Eddie Money alongside others.
Participants for the Freedom Festival Parade lined up at Kramer Elementary at 4:30 p.m. and made their way to the Uptown Parks shortly after. Participating groups included the Oxford Fire Department, Puzzle & Putt, Uptown Orthodontics, Cincy Drifters and more.
The annual Masonic Lodge Car and Bike Show took place on June 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Freedom Festival parade started afterward at 5 p.m. Photos by Taylor Powers.
Oxford’s Independence Day celebrations will continue throughout the week. OPRD’s Freedom Festival takes place on July 3 from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Oxford Community Park. There will be live music, games, vendors and more, with a fireworks display at 10 p.m. Parking is $5 per vehicle.
College Corner’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July event will be on July 4 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Stateline Ballpark, College Corner, Indiana. There will be a parade, activities and a fireworks show. The rain date will be July 5.
Spend your Independence Day weekend outdoors at Hueston Woods. Its Thunder Saturday event will be on July 5 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The annual fireworks can be viewed from the Hueston Woods Lodge or from the beach. Admission is free.
