Kids scramble for candy during the 2024 Williams Fourth of July parade.

WILLIAMS — When it comes to celebrating the Fourth of July, it’s well known that Williams has one of the best hometown celebrations around.

This beloved annual event kicks off Thursday evening with a kids parade and wraps up on Saturday with a morning kickball tournament.

In between them is a whole lot of fun.

The Williams Lions Club has been organizing the citywide celebration for 73 years.

Mike Burton, president of the local Lions has been a member since 1974. He was only 7 or 8 when his father, who was also a Lion, would bring him along to help. It still takes a lot of collaboration to make the yearly extravaganza happen.

The Lions, Burton said, would like to see more people join them to learn how to put on the event for the future.

“There were over 60 members when I joined; now we are down to about 11 members,” he said. “But the local people help out. We couldn’t do it if they didn’t.”

The City of Williams rents them the park and helps where needed. The Williams Fire Department fills the dunk tank and also will be on hand for the fireworks display, including with its EMS staff.

New activities this year are a duck pond and a dunk tank, he said.

This established event is famous for its huge parade, the day full of activities in the park and the fireworks display each year.

If you’re in the parade on Friday, you need to be registered by 9:30 a.m. at the IAS Co-op office. There are six categories; prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place entrees in each category. Categories are: churches and organizations; commercial floats; kids costumes and floats; machinery and tractors; cars, pickups and antiques; and horses.

Lunch is served after the parade by the community churches in the park shelter.

“The community churches run the food stands in the park,” Burton said. “Someone has to make those pies and Maid-rites!” Members of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church work to help feed the large number of people who gravitate to the celebration.

The Lions Club raises the money to pay for the fireworks each year. The results will be best viewed from the Williams ball diamond at 9:45 p.m. Friday night.

Throughout the day on Friday, raffle tickets will be sold to help fund the fireworks display. Winners have a chance to win the grand prize of $500 or 10 smaller cash prizes of $25. Money raised that is not needed for this year’s event will be used for the 2026 display.

For those wishing to make a cash donation, they can send donations to Bob Keane, Lions Treasurer, P.O. Box 43, Williams, IA 50271. Or call Mike Burton at 515-835-1181.

Set-up for the big weekend begins Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. Lions club members need a large number of people to assist. Burton said it usually takes about 40 to 45 people to get everything done in time.

Festivities start on Thursday night, July 3, with a kids parade at 6 p.m. Those participating should line up on 2nd Street by the bank and Talcott Avenue. There will be a free meal after the parade near the ball diamond.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, there will be games for the kids, with kickball for ages 4 to 7 and 8 to 12.

The Thursday night events are being sponsored by the Iowa Falls State Bank.

The big event is on Friday this year. Here’s the schedule:

11:10 a.m. — Foot races in the park by the basketball/tennis court;

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. — Music in the Gazebo by the Ron Smith Band;

1 p.m. — Hamilton County Crime Stoppers — free Nickel Scramble;

1:30 p.m. — Little Princess Program;

2 p.m. — Kids Tractor Pedal Pull (east of the park);

4 p.m. — Raffle drawing at the Pedal Pull area (east of the park);

Other activities occurring on Friday include:

. Lions Bingo;

. A cake walk (the organizers are accepting all donated baked goods);

. WHH 4-H Club will sell snow cones at the north end of the shelter house;

. Sweet Treats ice cream and roasted nuts from Jewell will be on hand;

. The Talcott Mercantile will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with coffee and ice cream.

. Fireworks at the ball diamond at dusk.

The final event will be on Saturday morning, July 5, with a kickball tournament for players over the age of 18. This will kick off at 9:30 a.m. at the ball diamond.