Your guide to Rochester's 4th Fest
After having to cancel last year’s festivities due to Covid-19, this year’s Fourth of July celebration promises to be one for the ages.
On Sunday, the City of Rochester is hosting 4th Fest at Soldiers Field Park. The free event will celebrate the rich and diverse talent of the community, while also commemorating the anniversary of our nation’s independence.
The music begins at 4:30 p.m., with the main attraction — the fireworks — scheduled to go off at 10 p.m. Because Soldiers Field is an open-to-the-public city park, lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers are welcome.
Note: The Soldiers Field Golf Course (east side of the park) parking lot will be closed starting at 8 a.m. on July 4 to allow for operations activities for the 4th of July fireworks. For a list of parking options, visit this link.
Schedule of events
4:30, 6:15 & 8 PM: DJ LaidEe P
LaidEe P, owner of FELINE MU$IK & Ent. LLC, is a female entrepreneur and an entertainment influencer. As a Rochester native (granddaughter of John Hardy), she has made it her mission to bring back the musical arts scene to the community, by performing and working along-side other local artists. Her way of existing, is by her brand’s motto “Creating energy that’s empowering to your soul!” in every business aspect she provides. With her name actually being an acronym, it’s all proven up by just that: “Living As I Desire, Entertaining Everyone Positively.”
5 PM: Swing Street
Swing Street is a 17-piece jazz band based in southeast Minnesota with a repertoire including hits from Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Arturo Sandoval, Gordon Goodwin, and many more! The Swing Street song list spans several decades and musical styles.
6:45 PM: Salsa del Soul
Salsa del Soul is a Twin Cities-based, nine-piece orchestra performing various styles of dance music from the Spanish-speaking regions of the Caribbean. Salsa del Soul was formed with the purpose to provide great dance music for Minnesota Salsa fans. The musicians of Salsa del Soul represent some of the finest musicians in the Twin Cities Latin music scene. The styles of music they perform include Son, Son Montuno, Plena, Cha-cha-cha, Bachata, Timba, and, of course, Salsa!
8:20 PM: Rochester Poet Laureate, Susan McMillan
Susan McMillan is a lifelong poet who has lived, worked, and volunteered in the Rochester area for more than 40 years. She was appointed Rochester’s second Poet Laureate by Mayor Kim Norton in April, 2019. Susan’s poetry has been widely published in local and regional publications, including Oakwood Literary Journal, The Talking Stick, The Moccasin, Green Blade, and Rochester Post Bulletin. Her poem, “Wicked Child”, was included in the book Upon Waking: 58 Voices Speak Out From the Shadows.
8:30 PM: Transit Authority
Transit Authority has become known throughout the U.S. as the premier tribute band to the iconic group Chicago. Based out of St. Paul, Minnesota, this eight member ensemble creates an accurate musical salute to the greatest horn driven rock band to ever hit the stage. Transit Authority's mission is to recreate the excitement of the original Chicago's sound with each and every performance. Transit Authority has assembled some amazingly talented musicians who meticulously capture all the nuances of the original recordings and will honestly make you believe you are witnessing the real thing.
10 PM: Fireworks
