On Tuesday, July 3, Mint Hill celebrated Independence Day with its annual Patriotic Concert.
The evening was the second in a series of “Family Fun Nights” hosted by Mint Hill’s Town Hall. In addition to live music from the Queen City Brass Band, the night featured kid-friendly entertainment, including outdoor games, inflatables and free face painting. Sugar Fix Ice Cream, Pelican’s SnoBalls and kettle corn were available for purchase, and many in attendance enjoyed a picnic dinner from neighboring restaurants.
After a brief ceremony acknowledging Mint Hill’s “Hometown Heroes” by the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Biggers kicked off the concert with a thank you to event sponsors Atrium Health Care and Truliant Federal Credit Union.
Spectators fought to find space in the shade as temperatures topped out at 100 degrees. “Most years we’re fighting thunderstorms and rain clouds!” said Mayor Biggers, referring to last year’s concert, which was cut short by storms. “I know it’s a little warm today, but at least the weather’s good, and we have a good breeze!”
The Queen City Brass Band began the concert with the National Anthem as the local fire department raised Mint Hill’s gigantic flag high over town hall. The first half of the concert included several traditional patriotic favorites like “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and a medley of armed forces anthems. The band also honored our town’s firefighters with the theme from the 1991 movie Backdraft and appealed to the kids in the audience with a medley of tunes from famous cartoons.
The Queen City Brass Band, established in 1992, promotes music in a traditional British brass band style, a format which lends itself to a wide range of music. The band treated the audience to more than just patriotic marches, playing “The Earl of Oxford’s March” by William Byrd and the titular march from the Steven Spielberg movie 1941.
After a short intermission, the band resumed with a nod to the outdoor venue with “Fly me to the Moon.” The second half of the concert included diverse tunes like a modernized arrangement of “Shenandoah” and music from the original Jurassic Park. The concert closed with more patriotic favorites like “God Bless America.”
Mint Hill’s next Family Fun Night will be a “Back to School Pep Rally” on August 19. The night will feature Independence High School athletes and cheerleaders as well as a concert from the Independence High School Marching Band. Mint Hill Police and Fire will be present to talk about back-to-school safety with families. As always, there will be inflatables, face painting, family games and food from local vendors. Family Fun starts at 6:30 pm, and the Pep Rally will start at 7:00.
