Our Daily Show Interview! Alton Godfrey Rotary Ready for July 2nd!
ALTON - Alton’s 250 on the Mississippi celebration promises three days of fun. An Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club member shared more about the July 2, 2026, event at Rotary Park.
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From July 1–3, 2026, downtown Alton will celebrate Independence Day with events at Haskell Park, Rotary Park, and the Alton Amphitheater. You can read more about the plans in this article on RiverBender.com. John Hopkins, a longtime Rotarian, noted that the July 2 event at Rotary Park will be fun for all ages while sharing more about American history.
“It’s going to be a wonderful week. There’s going to be a lot of things going on to celebrate the Fourth of July and Independence Day,” Hopkins said.
From 4–7 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, at Alton-Godfrey Rotary Park, community members can enjoy crafts, a balloon artist, and other family-friendly activities as well as food and drink vendors. American Jackals will provide live music.
Many of the shops on Broadway will stay open late that night, and attendees are encouraged to stroll along the park and Broadway to meet with Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty on stilts. You can also chat with Betsy Ross, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln impersonators.
Hopkins is especially excited to welcome the Thomas Jefferson reenactor. As the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson is a major figure for the Fourth of July.
The Rotary Club will have a booth where they will hand out mini American flags and pocket booklets of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. If you get your booklet signed by Thomas Jefferson, you will receive a $2 bill with Jefferson’s portrait on it.
Hopkins noted that the real Jefferson signed his name in many different ways; the reenactor will sign it like it appears on the Declaration of Independence. Only people with this valid signature will receive the $2 bill.
“He signed it T.H. Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson, and T. Jefferson,” Hopkins explained. “To get the $2 bill, you have to have it signed by the reenactor, and the reenactor is only going to sign it the way he signed the Declaration. So if somebody comes up and it says ‘Tommy J,’ you’re not getting any money.”
The Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau is the primary sponsor of the 250 on the Mississippi events. The Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club decided to get involved because it’s important to them to give back to the community and encourage learning about American history.
“We’re going to really do this because we’re part of the community and it’s in our park,” Hopkins said. “If it’s in Rotary Park, the Rotary should be involved.”
Hopkins also noted that the Rotary Club recently donated toward the installation of 100 American flags in downtown Alton. This money came from contributions to the Rotary Club following the passing of longtime member Bruce Egelhoff.
The flags will be displayed from Memorial Day to Labor Day every year going forward. Hopkins believes it will serve as a “living memorial” to Egelhoff while also encouraging civic pride.
As the Fourth of July approaches, Hopkins urges community members to come together, enjoy the 250 on the Mississippi events, and celebrate the country’s anniversary.
“Let’s cut all this partisan rancor, badmouthing everybody and everything,” he said. “Just stop it for a little bit of time and be an American. Just be an American for a week or two and see what happens.”
For more information about the 250 on the Mississippi events, click here or visit the official Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau webpage.
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