The Ironton Area Ministerial Association is planning another ecumenical community event, this time for the Independence Day weekend.

A fellowship with a patriotic theme will take place at 6 p.m. July 3 at First Baptist Church of Ironton.

Grilled hot dogs and apple pie will be served.

“We are having the first ever, in this century, an apple pie contest and the winner will be honored for baking the best apple pie in Lawrence County,” Rob Hale, of Ironton First Church of the Nazarene, said.

The Ironton Community Choir will lead the gathering in a sing along with the First Baptist Praise Team. A children’s rally with an anti-drug theme, will be featured by “Jeremy the Juggler,” a district licensed minister in the Church of the Nazarene and member of the West Virginia University Juggling Club.

The keynote speaker will be Lt. Col. Vance Huston, retired, of the USMC. His 23-year career of active duty with the Marines included flying 160 combat missions in Vietnam and being among the elite group of pilots to fly Marine 1, the helicopter assigned to the president of the United States, where he gave rides to presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Previous events by the ministerial association have included this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day service and the Easter sunrise service at Woodland Cemetery.