New Zion's July 4th Celebration started over 20 years ago. It began as just a simple parade every year on the morning of the 4th. Locals would bring their tractors, cars, golf carts, floats, horses, etc. and everyone would just line up and take off down main street towards the New Zion UMC, turn around and come right back! The going joke is New Zion has the only parade that you can see twice for the same money, and never get out your seat.
Since our start over 20 years ago, the Celebration has grown, and grown, and grown. About 10 years ago, we added our evening fireworks show, which today has quite the reputation, drawing in an estimated 3,000+ spectators last year. It's really turned into being something special. People from all over Clarendon, Sumter, Florence, Lake City and Kingstree fill the New Zion crossroads to watch the near 30-minute display.
In the last several years, we've also added a Patriotic Program which immediately follows the parade at the New Zion United Methodist Church. The program was added to honor all of our military members, both active and retired, for their service.
In the last few years we have added a "Community Cookout" benefiting the Clarendon Christian Learning Center, a beauty pageant crowning our July 4th Celebration Queens, and an amateur cornhole tournament!
The July 4th Celebration is something very special to New Zion, all members of the community decorate their homes, American flags line all main roads to the crossroads, and the entire area fills with Red, White, and Blue. We look forward to having the community join us this year for our Celebration, and for many years to come. If you've never been, punch in New Zion in your GPS, and follow the flags, you can't miss it!
Schedule:
9:15 Parade Lineup
10:00 Parade
Following Parade- Patriotic Program NZUMC
5:00 Community Cookout
Music and Fellowship
Cornhole Tournament
9:30 Fireworks Display
