Ever since Blooming Prairie used to have their Soybean Days, this little town of 2,000 has been a hub of activity on the third and Fourth of July. Activities for their 2002 Old Fashioned 4th start today at 2:30 p.m. with the Antique Tractor Pull weigh-in. There will be other activities and games in Central Park and this year for the first time are co-ed softball games.

The third annual Tug of War is downtown Main Street at 6 p.m. The Raks Sharqi Middle Eastern Dancers will be performing at 7:30 p.m. in City Park.

At 8 p.m. the city hosts a ten dance at the Servicemen's Club and a 21 and over Street Dance downtown.

The Fourth of July morning the activities continue with a flea market located at the high school, hot air balloon rides, Blooming Prairie Lions Club Breakfast at Prairie Manor, the Awesome Blossoms Run, volleyball tourney, roller blading race, and the B.P.R.A. Basketball Tournament.

This little town has such a large celebration with so many activities because of excellent planning and dedicated volunters. The chairman for the Old Fashioned 4th for the second year is Paul Fieberger.

"I have ten committee members who head the different activities. I'm busiest on the third and fourth. We have meetings starting to plan everything six months ahead of time. My job really is during the two-day celebration. I don't get out of City Park for those two days, as this is the hub of the activities," Fieberger said.

Blooming Prairie boasts having southern Minnesota's largest Fourth of July parade and they can keep that claim this year with 145 units scheduled to show up. Sue Swenson is the parade chair for the second year. Her phone has been ringing off the hook with people scrambling to find a place in the parade. Swenson starts organizing the parade in March by sending out applications to past units to secure a spot on the parade route.

"We will have the regular crowd pleasers coming which are the Shriners with their Chinese dragon and the motorcycles and go carts. The Su Fu Drum Percussion, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota will be in the parade and will do a performance in City Park right after the parade. The Grand Marshalls of the parade this year are Bud and Ruby Miller. A fancy horse and buggy outfit from Decorah, Iowa will transport them in the parade,"

said Swenson.

Laverne's Concertina Old Time Dance Band will be in the parade and later will play at City Park and the Servicemen's Club. Laverne Wanous, the Laverne of this band is originally from Blooming Prairie, but now lives in Owatonna. He is a self-taught musician. He has been part of the Blooming Prairie festivities since their Soybean Days.

"We start out the day playing at Prairie Manor. I have had the band for 40 years. I will be performing with five other musicians,'' said Wanous.

"We used to play the Monterey and in Rochester. Now people want only two or three musicians. People love the old time music. We played quite a few 50th wedding anniversaries last year. We play around 65 times a year. We never practice. We are spread out and play too much."

Band members of Luverne's Concertina are Ben Stewart from Glenville, RalphWangen, from Albert Lea, Darrell Ruedzel, Winona, Earl Weiland, Austin, and Brian Raichle, Owatonna.

Of course it wouldn't be the Fourth of July without fireworks. J & M Displays will be shooting off their goods this year. They have been coming to Blooming Prairie since 1998. This is a family business out of Yarmouth, Iowa, which is located in the southeastern part of the state.

Mike Oeken and his brother, Jim are the J&M in the business. Mike explained that they shot off fireworks for a hobby and they wanted bigger displays and their hobby turned into a business. They are friends with Jim Freeman, a licensed firework shooter out of Rochester and he is the contact person behind J&M Displays.

For those who don't know, reports are the large booming explosion fireworks make. Some people love them and others cover their ears.

"Lots of people like the loud noises,"

Oeken said.

There will be other special fireworks of patterned showers of hearts or spirals and diamonds that fall from the sky. Get ready to be looking up at the end of the day.

Sheila Donnelly can be reached at 434-2233 or by e-mail at :mailto:newsroom@austindailyherald.come