Star Spangled Spectacular fundraiser enters final week, still short of goal

Storm Lake’s Star Spangled Spectacular entered its final fundraising week with organizers still $13,500 shy of the $50,000 goal needed to cover this year’s celebration. The committee said the campaign reached $36,500, or 73% of the target, as the countdown to the July 3-4 event tightened.

That shortfall matters because the holiday is not a small neighborhood gathering. The Star Spangled Spectacular draws more than 10,000 visitors each year and serves as one of Storm Lake’s biggest Independence Day traditions in Buena Vista County. The money raised now helps underwrite the parts of the festival that fill out the two-day schedule, from live entertainment and food and shopping vendors to the classic car cruise, the Ride-Run, fireworks, the Patriotic Ceremony, the Kiddie Parade and the Big Parade.

Co-chairs Josh Newhouse and Matt Brostad have been leading the fundraising push, which began with more than 700 donation letters mailed to past contributors and new supporters. The committee reported $23,000 after two weeks of collecting donations, then climbed to the current $36,500 total as the final week began. That pace has kept the campaign within striking distance of the goal, but it still leaves organizers dependent on late contributions to close the gap before the holiday weekend arrives.

The 2026 event is built around the theme “Built on Freedom, Bound by Community,” selected by commodores Tyler and Deidre Aube. Matt and Katie Brostad also were named as co-commodores for the 2026 celebration, adding another familiar local name to the leadership behind the festival.

The lineup already has another recognizable community touch: the Storm Lake Boys Basketball team will serve as the 2026 Grand Marshal for the Fourth of July parade. That choice places a well-known local group at the center of one of the event’s most visible traditions.

With the celebration set for July 3-4, the final week of fundraising is the last chance for residents, businesses and past supporters to help finish the budget before the first fireworks go up over Storm Lake.