Schedule Of Events

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM : Pancake Breakfast

We’re bringing the Pancake Breakfast downtown! Start your 4th of July off right with the Freedom Festival Pancake Breakfast at the Veterans Memorial Building to fuel yourself for a day full of celebrations! Enjoy a delicious breakfast prepared by Built By Pros and CR/IC Building Trades. The breakfast will kick off at 8 AM in the Coliseum and conclude at 11 AM. Meals will be $10.00 (save $5.00 if you have a Freedom Festival button!) with kids 5 and under eating free! Finalized breakfast menu coming soon!

Join us outside the breakfast for Yoga on the Island kicking off at 9 AM! After the breakfast, enjoy the Freedom Festival Car Show happening on the 2nd Avenue Bridge from 8 AM - 12 PM. Another NEW event for 2025! Come shop from local vendors downstairs in the Vets Building at our Patriotic Pop-Up from 10AM - 3PM! Celebration of Freedom festivities will begin at 1 PM on 1st Street SW with live performances kicking off at Kingston Yard!

Location : Veterans Memorial Building: 50 2nd Avenue Bridge, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM : Car Show

Another Freedom Festival 4th of July tradition returns in 2025! The Car Show will kick off at 8 AM on the 2nd Avenue Bridge and run until 12 PM. Come check out some of the area’s most authentic and unique cars, motorcycles, and vehicles! 

The Car Show is FREE to attend and just $20.00 if you want to enter your own vehicle! Register ahead of time through the link below to save $5! Day of registration will end at 9 AM and will be $25.00. Pop and water will be available for purchase, but we invite you to attend our annual Pancake Breakfast being held inside the Veterans Memorial Building in the Coliseum from 8 AM - 11 AM! 

The Car Show is a judged show with awards for top 25 and seven special categories including: Engine, Paint, Interior, Wheels, RatRods, Motorcycles, and Best In Show! Online registration is available now for $20.00 and will close on July 2nd at 12:00 PM. Day of registration will be available for $25.00 from 7 - 9 AM on site. Entry: This is a FREE event to attend!

Location : Downtown Cedar Rapids: 2nd Avenue Bridge, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM : Yoga on the Island

Kick off your 4th of July celebrations with a rejuvenating yoga session on Mays Island with Vela Yoga! Starting bright and early at 9 AM, join us for a peaceful, hour-long yoga class while surrounded by the vibrant energy of the holiday. Best part? The class is absolutely FREE with your Freedom Festival button! 

Afterward, head inside to the Veterans Memorial Building to indulge in a delicious Pancake Breakfast. to fuel your day of festivities. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or just starting out, this class offers the perfect way to center yourself before the fun-filled day ahead. Please plan to bring your own mat, and don’t miss out on this new and unique opportunity to embrace both relaxation and community spirit!

Location : Mays Island: in between 2nd Ave Bridge & 3rd Bridge

8:00 AM - 1:00 PM : Patriotic Pop-Up

Join us downtown at the Veterans Memorial Building to shop local and support small businesses at our Patriotic Pop-Up vendor market! The Patriotic Pop-Up vendor market highlights small businesses, offering the public a chance to shop locally and support independent creators. From handcrafted goods to locally sourced treats, the market will provide a unique, community-driven shopping experience. It's a perfect opportunity to discover one-of-a-kind items while celebrating the spirit of Independence Day. Enjoy our Pancake Breakfast upstairs in the Coliseum, before heading downstairs to do some shopping from 9AM - 1PM at our first ever Patriotic Pop-Up! Entry: This is a free event to attend! 

Location : Veterans Memorial Building:  50 2nd Avenue Bridge, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

1:30 PM - 11:00 PM : Celebration of Freedom

Join us on the 4th of July in downtown Cedar Rapids for one of the largest firework displays in the state of Iowa! Prior to fireworks beginning at 1:30PM, enjoy live performances at McGrath Amphitheatre, a variety of food trucks at the Amphitheatre and on the 3rd Ave Bridge, and kids activities including: face painting, bounce houses, balloons, and trackless train rides!

Dalles Jacobus will kick off the evening on stage at 7 PM until 9 PM! Following his performance, fireworks will light up the sky thanks to J&M Displays! Food trucks and a kids zone will be available throughout the evening.

NEW this year! Honor and celebrate your loved one’s life at the largest celebratory fireworks show in Cedar Rapids! Honor a loved one, give a birthday shout out, or just simply celebrate someone in your life with a new addition to our fireworks show. When you dedicate an aerial shell, it is exclusively for your loved one. You will receive the description of the firework and the approximate time it will go off in the show. All donations to reserve a firework will go to fund the following year’s Freedom Festival Fireworks Show. Flying High Tribute Fireworks was created in honor of the late, Joseph Noble Saari and we are honored to have this addition to our show.

Location : Downtown Cedar Rapids: 475 1st Street SW, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52401