Wednesday, July 1, it¹s the Heartland Sings! 4th annual patriotic extravaganza, ³Freedom on Main: An All-American Family Experience.² This family-friendly event will be held on Main Street in downtown Roanoke. The Heartland Singers and the Heartland Jazz Orchestra, lead by Maestro Robert Nance will be singing and swinging jazz standards, patriotic songs and pop classics. The Heartland Singers scheduled to appear are Elizabeth Piercy, Richelle Bock, Kristen Miller, Betsy Ley, Alin Cass, Barry Jamison, Eric Miller and Phil Slane.

We have some fantastic new aspects of the ³Freedom² experience this year. First there is no cost: it¹s free for the whole family!

This fun evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a host of great activities on Main Street in Roanoke, just 16 miles southwest of Fort Wayne on US 24 West. Family friendly activities by Sweetcakes Entertainment will include colorful face painting, crazy balloon art and a terrific caricature artist. Would you like to meet the ³Father of our Country² or ³The Great Emancipator²? There will be guest appearances by American Historical Heroes including: George Washington, Betsy Ross, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter.

To add to the celebration, Roanoke¹s signature restaurant, Joseph Decuis is preparing a mouth-watering All-American Barbeque.

At 7:00 p.m. the centerpiece of the evening, the Heartland Singers and the Heartland Jazz Orchestra take to the Main Street Stage for a one-of-a-kind musical experience. The vocal artists of Heartland will perform swing-able jazz standards, heart-stirring patriotic songs and sing-able pop hits from yesterday and today. We¹ll also hear toe-tapping Big Band arrangements of ³Smack Dab in the Middle², ³A Salute to the Armed Forces², ³Uptown Funk² and many others.