Freedom Fest celebrations on JBLM to be held later this week
Joint Base Lewis-McChord will hold its annual Freedom Fest celebrations June 26-27 in anticipation of the country’s 250th Independence Day celebrations.
The celebrations will be held June 26 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and June 27 from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday’s celebrations are exclusively for the military-affiliated JBLM community. Saturday’s celebrations are open to the registered public. People who do not have a Department of War ID card or without a DOW sponsor in the vehicle must register online before entry to Saturday’s festivities. JBLM recommends that people pre-register at least 48 hours before the event. Those 18 years and older must bring a Real ID-compliant license or ID.
Friday’s festivities will begin at 6:30 a.m. when the First Corps and Freedom Fest Unit Run will happen on Watkins Field. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., military-affiliated people can go to Waller Hall to celebrate Retiree Appreciation Day, where they can learn more about retiree benefits and services.
Friday’s Freedom Fest celebrations take off at 3 p.m. Kids World will be available, giving children access to inflatable attractions like slides, bounce houses and obstacle courses. Children and accompanying adults must buy access bracelets, available for pre-purchase online, in order to participate. The Kids World Stage will show free performances for children, complete with a reptile show, a magician and a juggling performance. Attendees can also enjoy carnival rides, fair food, military static displays and roving entertainers.
The day will end with the JBLM Fight Night at Memorial Stadium at 5:15 p.m. Eight “action-packed” fights will ensue featuring service members from JBLM. The event is “designed to showcase warrior spirit, discipline, combative excellence and esprit de corps across the force.”
Saturday’s schedule features similar attractions to Friday’s programming, with Freedom Fest’s Kids World, carnival rides, and entertainment beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday will end with a live performance from the band American Authors at 8:45 p.m. Directly after the concert at 10 p.m., Freedom Fest will conclude with a firework show.
The public must use the DuPont Gate on Saturday to enter the base, after which they can park at the satellite parking area and take a shuttle to the festivities at Cowan and Memorial stadiums. Military ID cardholders with installation access may enter at other gates. As parking is first-come, first-served, JBLM recommends visitors carpool.
