On the Fourth of July, Washington Park turned into a vibrant hub of celebration as residents gathered for “Freedom Has a Birthday”, the city’s annual Independence Day festival. With more than 90 booths spread across the park, the event brought together local vendors, nonprofits, and families for a day of summer fun, community engagement, and patriotic spirit.
Children laughed as they bounced through inflatable castles and raced between face painting stations and classic carnival games. The Laramie Fire Department delighted crowds with its water spray from a fire hose — a refreshing break from the warm July sun. Local groups offered snacks, handmade crafts, and interactive exhibits, while the Freemasons handed out free ice cream to passersby.
Among the many booths, the Laramie Kennel Club offered a hands-on introduction to dog sports and pet safety. With a mock rally course set up using stuffed dogs, the club hoped to engage both kids and adults in their mission of community outreach and education.
“We decided to have a booth to help join the community at an event and get our name out there,” said Charlen Le Blanc, a representative from the club. “Right now, we have a fairly small group, and we’re trying to make it so we have more potential in the future. This is another way for us to meet and greet, get to know people in the community, and talk about how the AKC isn’t just about conformation or purebred dogs.”
Instead of offering a typical kids’ activity, the club gave away “pup cups” and provided information on pet safety, summer tips, and how to get involved with canine companion programs. “People have really liked the pup cups, and they really like that we have spare stuffed dogs here to do the rally course with,” Le Blanc said. “Kids, especially, have thought that it was fun. We even had one person come by with a cat, which was funny.”
For small clubs like the Laramie Kennel Club, events like “Freedom Has a Birthday” offer more than just visibility — they create a vital link to the local community.
“It’s important that local vendors and nonprofits do community events like this, especially in a case relevant to us, because we are such a small club,” Le Blanc explained. “It’s a fairly cheap way for us to get out there into our community, meet people who actually live here, work here, and get them involved in a program that’s important to us. It’s a way to find that niche market of people that we might not be able to talk to in any other context.”
Despite occasional crowds diverting attention from the booth, Le Blanc noted the day’s success. “We’ve had really good interactions… this is our first step into growing the club and expanding it into something that’s as big as we want it to be.”
As the festival wound down with live music and food trucks still buzzing, it was clear that “Freedom Has a Birthday” offered more than just fun, it offered Laramie a space to celebrate its people, passions, and pride.
