Contact: Lauren Giguere, Deputy Director of Comm. & Economic Dev
City of Allentown
Phone: 610 439-5965
E-mail: giguere@allentowncity.org

Audrey Cashman, Mayor's Office
City of Allentown
Phone: 610 437-7511
E-mail: cashman@allentowncity.org

Allentown, PA - The City of Allentown, Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority and Mack Trucks, Incorporated are pleased to announce Allentown's 2003 Fourth of July Celebration. A free-of- charge, day long, family oriented celebration will feature the Centennial of Flight Air Show, a Salute to the Troops, a concert performance by the Allentown Marine Band and the spectacular annual fireworks display.

The event will open at 10:00 AM on Friday, July 4th to allow time for viewing of the static display of aircraft including the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation's C-54 "Spirit of Freedom". This flying museum includes a Wright Brothers display to commemorate the centennial of powered flight. The air show will begin at 2:00 PM and will end at approximately 5:00 PM.

Headlining the show will be the Split Image Aerobatic Team, as well as solo performers and a warbird review. The Seawolf Museum will display the only known artifacts remaining of the WWII Torpedo Bomber which was built in Allentown in 1943 and 1944. A Salute to the Troops, hosted by the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council, at 6:00 PM, will be followed by the Allentown Marine Band Concert from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. The celebration will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display, at 9:15 PM, instrumented by the Zambelli Fireworks Company to deliver heart-pounding thrills and crowd pleasing, exciting effects. Suggested premier viewing areas for the fireworks display are Queen City Airport, Vultee Street and Percy Ruhe Park.

Free parking and shuttle service for the air show will be available from Merchants Square Mall, 12th and Vultee Streets from 1:00 to 6:00 PM.

Thanks to the many generous sponsors, the monies contributed will cover all costs of this event. The major sponsors of Allentown's 4th of July celebration include; First Union/Wachovia, The Morning Call, WFMZ-TV 69 and Clear Channel Radio Stations - B104, WKAP, WAEB and WZZO. Other sponsors include; Waste Management, Verizon, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., Allentown Manor, Keystone Health Plan Central, Allentown Business School, Stanley Vidmar, Merchants Square Mall, Coca Cola and Service Electric Cable TV.