More than just a blast: Folks relish Freedom Fest, being together

MOSES LAKE — When asked about what the Fourth of July means, Moses Lake Freedom Fest attendees listed many different responses: honoring service members, celebrating the country, barbecues, fishing, swimming, having fun and, most of all, freedom.

As for the three-day festival itself, that’s about freedom too.

“It’s a relief,” said Moses Lake resident Diana Gallagher. “I genuinely love it. It’s about freakin’ time.”

The festival brought out hundreds of people and many vendors, most of them brand new to the event, said volunteer Lori Valdez. Valdez started by running a Scentsy booth selling wickless candles, she said, but when she saw all the staff “running around crazy” at a Moses Lake Spring Festival, she decided she would help out.

She was thrilled by the Freedom Fest turnout, she said, loving the smiles on faces and the kids dancing near the stage at Saturday’s Craig Morgan concert.

Events like this are important, she said, and the work is rewarding.

“I live here,” she said. “This is my community.”

Sisters Brandi Russell, Brittany Lutz and Mckinzie Bottineau started the Dragonfly Espresso truck in Ephrata in 2019, only to be shut down by the pandemic, Russell said. Not only was the festival a great way to get back in the swing of things, but they liked that they could see a lot of familiar faces, she said. This is how they’d want to spend the Fourth of July, she said, serving coffee with friends and family and a great view of the fireworks.

Before the sun set on Sunday, local band Lake City Blues took to the Centennial Amphitheater in McCosh Park, where the other activities took place, to play everything from upbeat boogies to slow soulful tunes.

They’ve been itching to play again, said Michelle Steffler, wife of keyboardist and singer Travis Steffler. It was a great day to spend with family.

The event was emblematic of normalcy, said James Serra, son of lead singer Rick Serra.

“It’s nice seeing everyone in Moses Lake gathered to one area for a change,” he said. “This is my first time back into a populated Moses, so I think seeing the people is a really nice side.”

As the evening went on, most everyone said they were looking forward to the firework display.

The launchpad isn’t on public land, Valdez said. If it weren’t for Bill Bernhardt, who provides the space every year, the committee would have to rent a barge and launch fireworks from the water.

A lot of preparation goes into it, she said. The fire department cleared the ground, mowed the grass down, burned the cattails and sprayed the whole area with water.

And yet, the immense display still left an encore of flaming bramble.

The audience has come to expect this, Valdez said.

“It’s tradition,” she said.

Sam Fletcher can be reached via email at sfletcher@columbiabasinherald.com.