Luverne to host July 4 celebration at The Lake

For the ninth consecutive year, The Lake in Luverne will be the site of the community's Independence Day celebration Tuesday. 
The always popular, day-long event will again start with a triathlon and include food trucks, beer garden, music and inflatables throughout the day. 
A bean bag tournament and log rolling, hula hoop, limbo and tug-of-war contests are also planned throughout the afternoon. 
Bingo and a live band are scheduled for the evening before the main draw of the day, a huge fireworks display, beginning at 10 p.m. 
“It’s a true community event,” said Mike Davis, who along with his wife, Traci, owns the buildings and campground adjacent to The Lake. They have helped organize the July 4 celebration since it began in 2015. Fireworks joined the lineup in 2016.
“And none of it could happen without all of the businesses and people who sponsor it,” Davis said. “The sponsors and volunteers deserve all the credit. They make it possible.”
According to Davis, the event costs about $15,000 to put on, including about $10,000 for the fireworks.
“It’s not a cheap day,” he said.
“Some people just think the city pays for it all, and they do help a lot with in-kind donations, but the actual cost of the day is paid by donations from individuals and businesses large and small.”
While most attendees won’t notice the changes, this year the responsibilities for organizing and funding the July 4 celebration are with a new group called Luverne Lake Events.
For the first eight years of the event, the Luverne Convention and Visitors Bureau and Luverne Area Chamber were involved in the leadership of the event. 
Now the Davises, along with about 20 other individuals who have been serving on the committee for years, have formed the separate group to organize the July 4 event as well as other events at The Lake. 
“This event has really grown, and we have learned a lot from working with the CVB and Chamber, who have helped us out a lot,” Davis said. 
“But we felt like we were ready to take on the planning ourselves now,” Davis said. “We have a great group that’s worked well together for years so people won’t even notice the difference.”
The Luverne Area Community Foundation (LACF) is now the fiscal host for all donations that are made for the July 4 celebration.
“We let the people who know how to handle the money take care of that part,” Davis said.
According to LACF Director Emily Crabtree, Luverne Lake Events fits into the mission of the local foundation perfectly. 
“LACF is in the business of supporting the needs of our community, including events that draw people together,” Crabtree said. 
“We hope that being the fiscal host for Luverne Lake Events provides a charitable option for any person or business to consider donating.”
In the end, the Luverne Lake Events committee knows it’s the beach, community feel, and especially the fireworks that draw thousands to The Lake on July 4 each year. 
“Everybody loves it and just steps up,” Davis said. “The city crews, fire department, volunteers, sponsors … everybody just makes it happen.”