Gatesville outlines July 4 festivities for America 250 celebration window

Brad Hunt laid out a three-day America 250 celebration window that will turn downtown Gatesville, the civic center and the school campus into the center of the city’s July 4 holiday plans. The city manager previewed the schedule for fellow Gatesville Lions Club members, and the calendar now gives Coryell County residents a clear picture of where the action will be, who can still join in and which streets will be part of the holiday flow.

The city’s USA 250 Celebration is set to run from Thursday, July 2, through Sunday, July 5, with nine events formally on the city calendar. Hunt said the lineup includes events already on the books for the July 4 window as well as earlier summer activities, including the Crime Stoppers Donut Dash on Saturday, May 16, and the Fire and Irons Invitational: Strike on the Green golf scramble on Friday, May 29. City leaders also have used Hotel Occupancy Tax funds to support the bi-sesquicentennial celebration, a sign that the holiday programming is being treated as a funded civic project rather than a one-day spectacle.

The first major event begins at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 2, when North Fort Hood takes on The World in a co-ed softball tournament at the Gatesville Sports Complex. The city is still looking for more teams, making this one of the few July 4-related events where participation remains open rather than just attendance. Friday, July 3, shifts to the Gatesville Civic Center for the America 250 Pickleball Tournament, listed as a free doubles tournament for all ages and skill levels, with top-two finishes recognized in each division. That same day, the city will debut Gatesville PickleFest at 2 p.m., with a pickle juice drinking contest, food, retail vendors and live music.

Saturday, July 4, brings the parade and the biggest crowds. The America 250 Parade will include both a kids toy parade and a main street parade, with the route beginning at the County Annex and ending at the Gatesville ISD campus at Lovers Lane and Marshall Street. Immediately after the parade, the 4th of July Festival will take place on the GISD campus, and the city’s online calendar also lists a fireworks show presented by the City of Gatesville, the Gatesville Volunteer Fire Department and H-E-B.

Hunt, who moved from Gatesville police chief in February 2023 to interim city manager in May 2024 before being formally appointed city manager in September 2024, is fronting the planning effort as Gatesville ties its holiday calendar to America250, the national commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For residents, the result is a holiday weekend with fixed times, defined places and a full slate of city-backed events already taking shape.