Vinton War Memorial hosts 4th of July festivities ahead of two major projects

VINTON, Va. (WDBJ) - Friday morning, the Town of Vinton held its annual Four on the 4th run to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Virginia. The town will also hold its 4th of July celebration with fireworks Friday night, but things are even busier this year, as the War Memorial grounds are the site of two major upcoming projects.

“We are really excited to do a pretty big renovation inside. About a $2 million renovation is what’s going to take place. It will still be the same beloved event venue that the community knows and loves, but we’ll be able to elevate the inside of the war memorial,” said Mandy Adkins, Vinton Director of Cultural Placemaking and Events.

The War Memorial building typically hosts a variety of events like weddings, corporate events and community events, but it is currently closed ahead of the renovation.

The project will mark the War Memorial’s first renovations in 20 years. The town has completed the design phase of the project and it will be bid out for construction in the next few weeks.

“A lot of the changes that folks will see inside will be cosmetic. We’re looking at some new furniture, new windows, and a new ceiling. The ceiling layout has been custom-designed. We’re really excited about that,” said Adkins.

Elsewhere on the War Memorial Grounds, construction will begin next week on a new park where the old Vinton Pool used to be.

“The town council and the staff put their heads together and have a really great project that’s about to come to life. We’re about to build a new multi-generational park,” said Adkins. “That park will include a brand new playground that is incredible, a skatepark, and two pickleball courts. It will also have some shade areas, a picnic area, and will just be a great place for families to come. There will be something for all ages.”

Despite preparations for both projects, the Four on the 4th run saw several hundred people turn out. The run starts and ends at the War Memorial.

“We saw a great crowd this morning, lots of folks getting active on this July 4th morning. The weather has been beautiful, and so it has been a great turnout,” said Adkins.

The town will also kick off its annual 4th of July Celebration on the War Memorial Lawn Friday night.

“We’ve got 10 food vendors that will be here tonight to serve food and drink, and everybody will enjoy a good time. We’ve got a DJ coming, a foam pit for the kiddos. So something for everybody to enjoy the evening with family and friends and then at 9:30 p.m. we’ll have a fireworks show,” said Adkins. “The War Memorial is the perfect place for us to hold this annual celebration for America. July 4th is such a great day and we just love being able to provide a place for family and friends to come out and build memories together.”

Adkins said the two new projects will help improve the experience at the War Memorial for town residents for years to come.

“Both the park and the War Memorial renovation, these two projects are going to be huge for the War Memorial grounds. It will allow us to serve the community bigger and better than ever. The park will be such a staple, it will serve all ages, which we’re really excited about, and we’re excited to welcome folks back into the War Memorial in 2026,” she said.

The new park will be completed and open to the public this fall while the renovations to the War Memorial itself will be completed sometime next year.