One of the big events of All Veterans Tribute is happening Saturday. And it’s even bigger than before.
Freedom Fest isn’t an all-day event — yet — but it’s moving in that direction, with check-in for different activities starting as early as 8:30 am and the activities themselves continuing until mid-afternoon. It’s the 19th year for Freedom Fest, which started in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Emporia’s founding of Veterans Day. Lead organizer Steve Harmon says there has been a lot of growth in the overall event since it started.
As Harmon mentioned, there are now numerous components to Freedom Fest, which is taking place at the All Veterans Memorial and Soden’s Grove:
*The Dynamic Discs Freedom Fest Open has two rounds, a 9 am start time and a noon start time. Check-in for the 9 am round begins at 8 am, with check-in for the noon round starting at 11 am.
*The Gravel City Adventure and Supply Freedom Rides begin at 9 am, with riders having the option of 16-mile or 50-mile rides. Line-up is at 8:45 am.
*The Vigilance Martial Arts Murph Challenge, where participants do a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats and another 1-mile run, starts at 9 am with check-in at 8:30 am. The Vigilance Martial Arts Ruckmarch and Run begins at 9:30 am, sending participants on a 12-mile route out of Emporia.
*The Leap of Faith Martial Arts Warrior Spur Challenge goes from 9 am to 2 pm, with check-in at 8:30 am. This involves a 5-K run, 40-mile gravel ride and the Spur Readiness Test.
*The Lyon County State Bank Freedom Run/Walk/Stroll gives participants the options of a 1-mile, 5-K or 10-K run or walk. Line-up is at 9:15 am, with departure at 9:30 am.
Proceeds are split between scholarships for children of veterans in Emporia’s National Guard unit, the All Veterans Memorial, Emporia Main Street’s Soldier Care Package effort and the USD 252 Southern Lyon County Honor Flight.
More information is available at emporiafreedomfest.org. KVOE is broadcasting from 8-10 am.
