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After being cancelled last year due to the pandemic, Austin’s annual FreedomFest event is returning on Sunday, July 4.

The celebration will begin at 10:45 a.m. with the Mini Piggy Kids’ Fun Run, organized by the YMCA. This will be followed by the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce’s Independence Day Parade, featuring Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik as the grand marshal, at 11 a.m. The parade will run along Main Street.

The parade will feature the following line-up (in order):

• VFW Post 1216 and Auxiliary

• American Legion Post 91 and Auxiliary

• Diasbled American Veterans Post 27

• American Legion Spam Post 570

• American Legion Riders Post 91

• Austin Area Chamber of Commerce

• Kris Heichel Team powered by Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation

• Boy Scouts of Austin

• Girl Scouts of Austin

• AHS Alumni and Friends Band

• Grand Marshal – Sheriff Steve Sandvik

• Planters Nutmobile

• Knights of Columbus

• Austin Fire Department

• Mapleview Fire Department

• Brownsdale Fire Department

• Riverland Community College Multicultural Club

• Mower County Dairy Princesses

• AHS Cheerleading

• AHS Marching Band

• The Hormel Institute

• Lyle Area Cancer

• Austin Youth Hockey

• Austin Ford Chrysler

• River Rats Car Club

• Austin Lions Go-Cart Unit

• Mower County Sheriff Department

• Sen. Gene Dornink

• Pacelli Catholic Schools

• Mayo Clinic Ambulance

• Quality Pork Processors

• Discover Austin

• Jane Taylor Academy of Dance

• Southland Drumline

• Matchbox Children’s Theatre

• Mower County Fair

• KSMQ Public Television

• Mower County DFL

• Thompson Sanitation

• Austin Allstar Baseball

• Rochester Caledonian Pipe Band

• Multicultural Austin

• Austin Utilities

• Impact Martial Arts and Fitness

• Austin Windshield Plus

• Osman Shrine Oriental Band

• Akkerman Inc.

• West Oakland Auto Repair

• Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church

• H&R Block

• Cedars of Austin

• Rochester Merry Medics

• Martial Arts Fitness Center

• Mueller for Minnesota

• Walmart

• Pulver Towing

• SEMA Equipment

• DrumAddicts

• American Motor Owners

• Austin Pizza Ranch

• S&S Towing

• Austin Bruins

• Rochester Cycle Patrol

• Hagedorn for Congress

• Kinney Transportation LLC

• Howe’s Countertop Connection

• Domino’s Pizza

• Sanco Services

• Austin Community Band

• Meyerhofer Crane and Rigging

Festivities will be held beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Bandshell Park. Activities include the following:

• Free Ice Cream Social, Westminster Presbyterian Church – 2 p.m.

• Kids Face Painting, near the West Stage – 2-4 p.m.

• Bean Bag Tournament, north of the Bandshell – 2:30 p.m. (sign-up at 2 p.m.)

Entertainment will be featured on the Bandshell Stage and West Stage. The schedule is as follows:

• Opening Ceremony, Bandshell Stage – 1:30 p.m.

• Austin Big Band, Bandshell Stage – 2 p.m.

• Acclaim Studio of Dance, West Stage – 2 p.m.

• Magician Jim Jayes, West Stage – 2:30 p.m.

• Bridget’s Dance Conservatory, West Stage – 3 p.m.

• Magician Adam Perry, West Stage – 3:30 p.m.

• Whalen and the Willows, Bandshell Stage – 4 p.m.

• Jane Taylor Academy of Dance, West Stage – 4 p.m.

• 3 Lane, Bandshell Stage – 6 p.m.

• Pillars of the City Ceremony, Bandshell Stage – 8 p.m.

• Austin Community Band, Bandshell Stage – 8:30 p.m.

The evening will conclude with fireworks courtesy of the City of Austin at 10 p.m.