Spectacular to honor Idol, heroes

By Jeff LeMaster

Photo by File Photo

Amelia Jones of Jacksonville flashes a smile at people passing by at the 2008 Jacksonville Spectacular. The event, which will be held Friday at Jan Crow Stadium, will feature a fun zone for kids, local musicians performing and awards for community heroes.

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THREE RIVERS AREA — For the eighth year in a row, Jacksonville will host one of the biggest Fourth of July celebrations in the area.

The Jacksonville Patriotic Spectacular will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Friday with a kids fun area featuring inflatables, face painting, Radio Disney and more. Local entertainment will begin at 7 with performances by country singer Angie Umfleet, blues duo Jawbone and Jolene, country singer Brandon Summers, pop quartet Pricecrew, Cody Belew, Daniel Allen (brother of American Idol Kris Allen) and former Branson, Mo., performer Amber Mitchell.

But the real stars of the show are the local heroes. The Spectacular has long striven to honor members of the military, police, firefighters, educators and medical professionals. Awards for individuals in each category will be given at the show.

Organizer Angie Mitchell said this year will feature a new award, the "I Have A Dream" award that honors central Arkansans who have achieved success on a national level. Recipients of the inaugural I Have A Dream awards are Kris Allen, who grew up in Jacksonville, and Clinton McDonald, who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals to play in the National Football League.

Kris Allen could not make it to the show, but Mitchell is hoping to get a video clip from him in which he'll address his hometown and thank the community heroes for their service.

"We will be selling Kris Allen tour T-shirts," Mitchell said. "We'll also be selling our Patriotic Spectacular shirts, though I have a feeling they'll be a little overshadowed."

Mitchell said almost all of Allen's family will be in attendance and will accept his award onhis behalf.

During the main program, adult and children's choirs will portray Indians and pilgrims; Union and Confederate officers from the Civil War; and even Abraham Lincoln.

"History comes to life in our program," Mitchell said.

The program will also honor fallen military Arkansans with a fallen heroes memorial display and the playing of "Amazing Grace" by a bagpiper.

Mitchell praised the volunteers who spend countless hours preparing for the event.

"I'm pretty proud of them, because I think they work a lot harder than I do," Mitchell said.

And that's saying something. Mitchell said she begins planning for the event "around September" and sometimes earlier. She's already working on next year's program, which she is hoping will be an original play written about the history of Arkansas.

While there's a strong sense of Jacksonville pride associated with the event, it's something that reaches beyond the borders of the city. About 80 percent of the show's attendance is folks from outside Jacksonville, Mitchell said.

"I think that's pretty neat that we have other people coming into our community," she said. "And that's the purpose, is to bring other people into our community."

With the community hero awards especially, Mitchell hopes this concept is something that can catch on in other towns across Arkansas.

"I think the awards are something that's really neat, and I wish every city would do it," she said. "It just kind of unites everybody, and they're able to be there with their families and receive an award in front of a large audience."

For more information about the Jacksonville Patriotic Spectacular, contact Mitchell at (501) 982-2130 or (501) 944-4820 or e-mail patrioticspectacular@comcast.net.

- jlemaster@arkansasonline.com

Three Rivers, Pages 55, 56 on 07/02/2009