MONONA (WKOW) -- After more than a year of canceled events and social distancing, communities across southern Wisconsin are holding festivals for Fourth of July. In Monona, organizers added a day to the event.
"It's super important to have these types of festivals where people can come together," festival president Eric Redding said. "There's been a lot that we've all experienced in the last year, and I think having people come together, listen to some great music and have a beverage is what we need."
Festival goers like Bill Merrick said they were excited to spend time with friends they hadn't seen since before the pandemic.
"It's such a relief to have a little more freedom, stuff to do," he said. "I've been missing the live music and the live events and hanging out with friends, so, this is wonderful."
Redding said while fan favorites like the beer garden and wife carrying competition are back this year, some parts of the festival experience are different.
"We've set things up in a way that's open and safe for folks that maybe are hesitant about coming out to the festival after COVID," he said. "We're keeping things spaced out and keeping things clean and hygienic."
The festival runs through Sunday and will conclude with a fireworks show.
"We're coming back bigger and better than we were the last time we held it in 2019," Redding said. "This is our Fourth of July to come back and have fun. Let's have it, let's enjoy it, and come on down to our festival or another festival you've got in the area."
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