UNDERWOOD, Iowa (KMTV) — Underwood, Iowa's Fourth of July celebration draws thousands to this small town for a parade, carnival games, and community festivities that locals and visitors look forward to every year.
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY BELOW
- Kelsie Rollins, parade coordinator and owner of Sprout Marketing Solutions: “We have beef jerky, shirts, beer; I’ve seen a lot of things get handed out here at the parade so not just for the kids, it’s for the adults, too.”
- Gina Springhower lives in McClelland: “We come to the Fourth of July every year up here. The kids love it. They love the parade — come home with bags and bags of candy. Lots of beef jerky, that’s our favorite. And we always stay here for a little while and do the carnival games.”
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
There is nothing like the Fourth of July in a small town. I'm Southwest Iowa Neighborhood Reporter Katrina Markel.
Throughout the course of the day, more than two or three times the population of this town will show up for its celebration.
The party got started early in Underwood. Kelsie Rollins coordinates the whole thing.
"I was up at 5 a.m. and we started with a 5K walk and fun run," Rollins said.
Katrina: “Somebody told me: ‘We don’t just have candy in Underwood’s Fourth of July parade, we also have beef jerky.’”
Kelsie: “We have beef jerky, shirts, beer; I’ve seen a lot of things get handed out here at the parade so not just for the kids, it’s for the adults, too.”
And it’s rural Iowa: so, tractors, tractors, and more tractors.
Katrina: “What’s better, candy or beef jerky?”
Calvin, 5: “Candy.”
Katrina: “Beef jerky or candy?”
Larra, 6: “Both.”
Marlee, 8: “Yeah, I say both, too.”
Lara brings her family from Council Bluffs: “It’s one of the best around so we just — we come every year.”
Gina Springhower lives in McClelland: “We come to the Fourth of July every year up here. The kids love it. They love the parade — come home with bags and bags of candy. Lots of beef jerky, that’s our favorite. And we always stay here for a little while and do the carnival games.”
Festivities continue all day and through the evening with a street dance and fireworks.
