As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, Hooper, Nebraska, is marking a milestone of its own: the town's 150th anniversary.
Like many other Nebraska cities, Hooper was established as a railroad town in 1876, and 150 years later it is still going strong.
Events begin Friday, July 3, at the park with an evening opening ceremony.
On Saturday, the 4th, a car show and parade will take place in the historic downtown, with fireworks at 10 p.m. on the east side of the city.
Organizer Sarah Baltzer said the town's spirit drove the celebration.
"When you reach out to your community and you say, 'hey we got a lot of great things to celebrate, let's come together and make it happen', it really was awesome to watch people volunteer, agree, and come together," Baltzer said.
There is also a special guest: Logan View graduate and four-time Olympian Jordan Larson is coming home for a Q&A and a meet-and-greet.
For Mayor Tami Clausen, the celebrations carry meaning beyond the city itself.
"What this means for small towns is when we can celebrate what we have going on in our community, then we can be an example, and we can show the world that we are here, we can survive," Clausen said.
From parents to children, there is something for everyone. When asked what they were most looking forward to, attendees had their answers ready.
"The fireworks," Boyd said.
"The candy," Halle said.
"The car show," Will said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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