
Fundraising week 4
Fundraising co-chairs Josh Newhouse and Matt Brostad set a goal of $45,000, and they received just over $41,000 in cash and in-kind donations. “This year was very different from last year, and we are extremely grateful to all donors for their generous donations,” said Newhouse. Read more here:
Fundraising week 3
Donations are still being accepted as the fundraising committee enters its final week of their annual campaign for the city's Independence Day celebrations. Still need over $18,000 to reach our goal. Read more here:
Food vendors and artist alley
Diverse nonprofit food offerings, food trucks, and art vendors along with other entertainment will take place in the Storm Lake parks July 3-4, 2025. Read more here:
Patriotic Speaker
Dale Tokheim, First Sergeant (Ret.), will serve as speaker for the 2025 Patriotic Ceremony. Read more here:
Fundraising week 2
After a full two weeks of collecting donations, the 2025 Star Spangled Spectacular has reached $16,000 towards a goal of $45,000. Read more here:
2025 grand marshall
The Star Spangled Spectacular Committee is proud to announce Joe Kucera, longtime director of Storm Lake Community Education, as the 2025 Grand Marshal for this year’s Fourth of July Parade. Read more here:
Fundraising Week 1
Fundraising for 2025 is off to a slow start, according to Matt Brostad and Josh Newhouse, fundraising co-chairs. "We are behind where we were last year as of the first week with our traditional check donations." Read more here:
Classic car cruise
Storm Lake’s annual Star Spangled Spectacular and its Classic Car Cruise is set to kick off Independence Day celebrations at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Read more here:
Round-Up Fireworks
The “Round up for Fireworks” fundraiser with Fareway will take place Monday, June 2 through Saturday, June 21, granting customers the opportunity to round up to the nearest dollar at the register and fund our 10 p.m. fireworks show on July 4. Read more here:
Art Contest winners
The annual children’s art contest has selected Troy Vang and Finley Sullivan as its “Celebrate Freedom, Feel the Vibe in 2025” winners. Read more here:
Fundraising Kicks Off for 2025
Fundraising for the 2025 Star Spangled Spectacular kicks off on Monday, June 2 with a goal of raising $45,000. Read more here:
Shirts Available Starting May 1st
The Star Spangled Spectacular is proud to announce the launch of its first-ever themed shirts, celebrating this year’s theme: “Celebrate Freedom, Feel the Vibe in 2025.” These shirts will be available for purchase starting May 1st, bringing patriotic spirit and community pride to life in wearable form.
These patriotic themed shirts will be available for purchase online at https://starspangledspectacular25.itemorder.com starting May 1st in multiple colors and sizes. They can either be delivered directly to your door or picked up locally—whichever is most convenient. Online sales will end on June 5th. In addition, The Sugar Bowl will carry a selection of sizes and colors in-store, giving our community another easy way to grab their limited edition shirts before they're gone. All proceeds will go towards the Star Spangled Spectacular celebration.
Artist Alley
Vendors with both original and commercial exhibits are invited to display in Artist Alley Friday, July 4. Pottery, drawings, glass, jewelry, paintings, photos, printmaking, sculpture, wood, and mixed media are welcome. Read more here:
2025 Food vendors
Storm Lake’s annual Independence Day celebration is
opening food vendor registration for non-profits, for-profits, food trucks, and more.
2025 Grand Marshal
Storm Lake’s annual Independence Day celebration is now accepting Grand Marshal nominations for its 2025 Big Parade. The completion of a three-question nomination form will allow the committee to choose the Parade leader based on volunteering experience, leadership, and goals which further enhance the Storm Lake area. Read more here:
2025 Headliner
PetRock Band will take the stage as the headlining band from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, July 3 at the Sunset Park Band Shell. Read more here:
2025 Theme
Matt and Linda Ricklefs, 2025 Star Spangled Spectacular commodores, have chosen “Celebrate Freedom, Feel the Vibe in 2025!” as the theme for this year’s Independence Day events. Read more here:
2025 Co-commodores
Tyler and Deidre Aube have been named co-commodores for the July 3-4, 2025 events. They will lead planning as commodores in 2026. Read more here:
News & Updates
The 2024 Star Spangled Spectacular is pleased to announce they have met their fundraising goal. Thank you to all who supported. Read more here:
Artist's Alley
The 2024 Artist’s Alley will host 14 diverse art vendors beginning at 10 a.m. in Sunset Park on July 4, 2024. Read more here:
Patriotic Speaker
Sergeant Liliana Solis, recruiter for the Iowa Army National Guard, will serve as speaker for the 2024 Patriotic Ceremony. Read more here:
Fundraising Wk. 2
After a full two weeks of collecting donations, the campaign has reached $25,000 toward a goal of $40,000. Read more here:
Food vendors 2024
Presenting a variety of food offerings, food stands, food trucks, and other entertainment in the Storm Lake parks July 3-4, 2024. Read more here:
2024 Grand Marshal
The 2024 commodores have named the Fireworks Crew its 2024 Big Parade Grand Marshals in honor of this year’s theme: Light up the Sky on the Fourth of July. Read more here:
Fundraising Wk. 1
Fundraising for 2024 is off to great start, according to fundraising co-chairs. Read more here:
Classic Car Cruise
Storm Lake’s annual Star Spangled Spectacular and its Classic Car Cruise is set to kick off Independence Day celebrations at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Read more here:
Fundraising 2024
Fundraising for the 2024 Star Spangled Spectacular kicks off on Monday, June 3, and the committee has its sights set on breaking its record of $44,000 set in 2023. Read more here:
2024 Co-commodores
Matt and Linda Ricklefs have been named co-commodores for the July 3-4, 2024 events. They will lead planning as commodores in 2025. Read more here: