Welcome to Faith, North Carolina
The Official Website of the Faith 4th Celebration!
Faith Shows Patriotic Pride at Fourth of July Celebrations
The small town of Faith in eastern Rowan County, NC, welcomes hundreds of visitors each year to its week-long Faith Fourth of July celebration. A tradition since 1946, the celebration allows the town to bask in patriotic pride with red, white, and blue banners, flags, and clothing everywhere you look. It is considered one of the largest Fourth of July celebrations in the state, even welcoming President George H.W. Bush during his term in office.
The event includes fireworks, barbecue, patriotic choirs, a midway, games, and a parade that extends a mile and half on Main Street.
The celebration requires a great deal of planning by the sponsoring organizations and community volunteers, including Faith American Legion Post #327, Faith American Legion Auxiliary Unit #327, and the Faith Civitan Club.
The celebration has its roots in a plan to honor veterans. Shortly after the town was incorporated in 1903, a handful of area residents gathered to honor veterans with a picnic and games. The Peeler family, operators of several businesses in Faith, was instrumental in these initial get-togethers on the Fourth of July. The original Fourth celebrations were more like family picnics than the celebration of today. One citizen remembers the greasy pole that proved a challenge for one soldier in the crowd. Also, races were a favorite and a horse-drawn merry-go-round was an unusual attraction.
The celebration was originally sanctioned by the town government in 1920, but the sad conditions of wars and general economic distress intervened. Gatherings were sporadic. The end of World War II brought back happier times and the annual celebration was revived. Ray McCombs, lifelong resident and active supporter of the celebration, recalled the organizers’ shock when twice as many visitors showed up as were expected. Food quickly ran out and Faith’s cooks went to their own kitchens to bring more food to serve. With that memory, those who plan today’s celebrations work for months to make sure that all guests receive their fair share of Faith’s renown hospitality.
“The Fourth of July offers an old-fashion good time.”
The menu on the Fourth of July that the civic and community volunteers prepare consists of the following:
- 4500 pounds of barbecued shoulders
- 5000 hot dogs
- 7000 hamburgers
- 1800 pound of country ham
- 5000 ice cream cones
- 20,000 drinks
- 2500 pounds of cabbage for making a slaw
The volunteers arrive very early on the morning of the fourth to prepare the food. Smoke fills the air as the shoulders are taken off the pits to be chopped for sandwiches. The charcoal grills are fired up to prepare the hamburgers and country ham.
The day is usually very hot and humid with possible scattered thunderstorms. Sometimes these thunderstorms will light up the sky with a mammoth fireworks display which culminates the annual Fourth of July celebration.
Generations of families make it a tradition to come to the Fourth of July celebration each year. As children grow up, marry or move away, many come back for the Fourth of July, celebrating the holiday and happy family reunions.
The four sponsoring civic organizations use the proceeds from the Fourth of July Celebration for scholarships, local school needs, local library needs, park improvements, and other towns/community needs.
President George Bush attended the celebration in 1992. Having the President of the United States drop by for a ballgame ( he played ), lunch and a speech was an all-time high for the residents and guests that attended.
The Fourth of July offers an old-fashion good time. Events during the day include old favorites like the sack race, the three-legged race, and the piggyback race. There is also a watermelon eating contest, a shoe and an egg toss.
All activities take place on the Faith American Legion Park and Faith Elementary School grounds. Children love the festive holiday celebration and rides that come in for the week.
The Fourth of July Celebration Committee extends an invitation for new comers to check out these Fourth of July festivities. The town of Faith really shows the true colors of red, white and blue each July 4th.