2019 Festival of the Lakes celebrates Fourth of July

LEXINGTON, Tenn. – The 2019 Festival of the Lakes in is expected to be bigger than ever.

“5,000 people today. If they can’t get in to the lake, they’re lining the streets of Lexington to watch those fireworks,” said Executive Director of the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, Kim Douglass.

By 9 a.m. Thursday, the park by Beech Lake was already full of vendors and those celebrating the holiday.

Today’s events include beauty pageants, live music, BBQ cook-offs, boat races, and, of course, fireworks.

“It’ll be somewhere in the neighborhood of around 200 shells, plus what we call cakes. They’re pre-boxed, and those are generally around 100 shots per cake,” said fireworks coordinator for the festival, David Stanhope.

The winner of the kayak race, Emilie Schram, said her family looks forward to the fireworks show the most.

“We’re probably going to go home and rest, then we’re going to come back later this afternoon to watch the fireworks,” said Schram.

Leading up to the fireworks show, several local bands will take the stage.

“Coopertheband, Rev. Jessie and the Holy Smokes, The King Beez from Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, and then we’re going to top off the night, with Skyelor Anderson,” Douglass said. “There’s no better way to spend the day than here on the banks of Beech Lake in Lexington, Tennessee.”