1. Secretary/Office Assistant/Support to Executive Director

Needs good computer skill-use of Word, Excel, Office; good relationship skills to interact with Event Chairs, Board Members and clients; detail oriented for follow-up on events and sponsorships.

Job requires regular M-F workdays with extra time during the peak Festival months of June and July. Salary and benefits will be dependent on experience with computer and organizational skills.

2. Financial Assistant/Freedom Days Coordinator 

Experience with QuickBooks is helpful, but not necessary; accounting experience helpful; computer skills necessary and ability to work with a diverse set of clients in establishing vendor placement at Freedom Days event is required.

Job is full-time beginning in April and will conclude at the end of July. Salary will be hourly without health benefits.

Please contact Paul Warner at paul@freedomfestival.org to receive application to be reviewed for possible interview.

We are excited to partner with Provo City, Provo Veteran’s Council, Timpview High School and the Provo Kiwanis Club to spo

nsor the 2011 Veterans Day Tribute. This special ceremony, honoring more than 200 Utah veterans, will occur at the Timpview High School basketball gym on Friday, November 11, 2011, at 10:00 a.m.

“We can’t appreciate and honor America’s veterans enough,” said Paul Warner, executive director of America’s Freedom Festival. “Their service and their sacrifices allow each American to enjoy his or her constitutional rights every day of the year. Our nation’s freedoms survive because of them.”

In addition to honoring the hundreds of veterans in attendance, the ceremony will spotlight three in particular, including Major General John Matthew, former principal of Timpview High School.

ROTC members from Independence High School will carry out the Presentation of the Colors, and the renowned Timpview Band, travelling to Pearl Harbor to perform in the near future, will play patriotic numbers. In addition, the Timpview Ballroom Dance Team will perform a special piece from the 1930s and 1940s, and the Timpview Philharmonic Orchestra will honor veterans in attendance with a beautiful musical number.

Provo Mayor John Curtis will conduct the service and welcome veterans, students and members of the community.

The Veterans Day Tribute is open to all members of the public. Church attire is requested.

The event is sponsored by the Provo City Veterans’ Council and is being coordinated by a volunteer committee headed by David F. Gunn.

Serena Kirk will sing the National Anthem while the Metro Squad serves as the Honor Guard for the flag ceremony. Master of ceremonies for the event will be Provo Mayor John Curtis. Bagpipes will also provide music throughout the event, including the release of balloons at the conclusion.

A special video presentation, coordinated by Provo City’s Blake Romney, will feature key community leaders that were directly impacted by the events of 9/11. An award ceremony will feature a key Utah Valley resident that exhibited exemplary behavior while serving at ground zero in New York City.

Organizations involved in the event include: the American Red Cross, Mountain Valley Chapter, American Legion, Provo City, Orem City, Utah Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, the Provo Seventh-day Adventist Church, America’s Freedom Festival at Provoand United Way of Utah County.

While each of the approximately 25 hot air balloons at the Freedom Festival’s annual Balloon Fest in Provo is unique, one in particular this year will have both children and adults flocking to the dark side.

At 86 feet high and 69 feet wide, weighing a whopping 640 pounds, the world famous Darth Vader hot air balloon will make its debut flight over Utah Valley on the first morning of the Balloon Fest—Friday, July 1 at 6:30 a.m. Lord Vader will also take flight on Saturday, July 2, and Monday, July 4. The Balloon Fest takes place from 6:30 to 8:00 a.m. at Bulldog Field, located at 1100 North Freedom Boulevard.

The evil Sith lord is already making quite a stir in quiet Provo.

“Vader’s arrival is definitely generating some buzz around the community,” said Bill Talbot, chairperson of the event. “We normally get about 10,000 spectators at Balloon Fest on Fridays, with up to 30,000 people coming on days over the weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised if many more people showed up this year.”

Several Imperial Stormtroopers are also expected to appear at the Balloon Fest to witness Lord Vader’s flight. A large contingent of Stormtroopers will march in the Grand Parade in Provo on July 4.

And though the Freedom Festival’s annual Balloon Fest is insignificant next to the power of the Force, the event is as popular as ever after 27 years of family fun.

“Since the summer of 1985, my volunteer committee and I have worked hard to make the Balloon Fest a special event,” said Talbot. “Most of our hot air balloon pilots have been with us all 27 years. We’ve given our hearts to this event. It’s a great privilege.”

The Vader balloon was the brainchild of Lambert Benoit, a Star Wars fan living in Belgium. He had the balloon manufactured in 2007 with the express approval of Lucasfilm.

“We’re excited to be coming to Provo,” said Benoit. “This will be our first time bringing the balloon to an Independence Day festival in America. Everywhere we go, people adore the Darth Vader balloon. We think we’ll see the same reaction in Utah.”

The Darth Vader balloon comes to Provo thanks to Digicert, a Utah-based digital certification company. The Coca-Cola Company is also sponsoring the arrival of its giant bottle-shaped balloon. Many other unique and impressive hot air balloons will fill the sky during the July 4th weekend. Spectators can watch hot air balloon pilots participate in various games during the event, such as dropping bean bags on targets on the field below.

Families are encouraged to walk around Bulldog Field as hot air balloons inflate, take off and land around them. The Balloon Fest is free to the public.
“We can’t wait to be part of the festivities,” said Benoit. “The force will be with Provo soon.”

A native of Orem, Utah, Lewis is well known as one of BYU football’s most popular and successful players in the 1990s. He was drafted in 1997 to play for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, becoming the first Eagle to exceed 50 catches since 1989, with 69 successful receptions. He won a Super Bowl title with the NFL’s St. Louis Rams in 1999, then returned to play for the Eagles until 2005. Lewis is currently working in fundraising and development for BYU’s athletic department, and recently climbed to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro with a group of wounded military veterans.

Chad Lewis speaks fluent Mandarin, and has visited China several times to participate in local football camps. He once spoke at a July 4th celebration in China. Lewis’ recent autobiography, Chad Lewis: Surround Yourself with Greatness, takes readers through his journey as a football star and family man. Chad and his wife, Michelle, have seven children and live in Cedar Hills, Utah.

“It’s a huge relief and a huge validation of our hard work and excitement to be able to perform at Stadium of Fire,” said Whitcomb, lead singer of the Provo-based band, The Whits. “If we win the Talent Search $10,000 prize, some of it will go toward another recording project, some toward travel expenses to perform around the West and some toward equipment. It will all go right back to the band to help us grow.”

And growing is not easy for many local musicians. But the top three finalists of the Stadium of Fire Talent Search have a unique opportunity to prove their merits to the 48,000 spectators that will come hear not just them perform, but superstars Brad Paisley and David Archuleta. Via text voting, the audience will award one of the three acts the $10,000 cash prize.

Amy Whitcomb will perform with her alternative rock band of fellow BYU students, The Whits, alongside country music quintet Artie Hemphill and the Iron Horse Band and 11-year-old prima donna Eve Asplund. All three acts were chosen by a panel of entertainment industry judges on Saturday, May 14, after a rousing night of performances by the top ten Talent Search contestants.

“The Top Ten night was great,” said Artie Hemphill. “We were thrilled to death to make it into the top three. We’re very excited. We just can’t wait to get out and play in front of that big crowd. It’s just a dream.”

After living in Nashville and traversing the country music scene, Hemphill moved to Utah and discovered four other musicians that wanted to experiment with different, more robust country music like he did. They founded Artie Hemphell and the Iron Horse Band about three years ago.

Elsewhere in Utah three years ago, little Eve Asplund was just beginning to dabble in long division and spelling quizzes. But today, at only 11-years-old, she presents a serious challenge to the other contestants. Her amazing voice wowed both the crowds and judges at the Top Ten showdown.

“She is amazed and excited, just absolutely thrilled to perform,” said Sarah Asplund, Eve’s mother. “This is a great opportunity for her, it is an experience she’ll never forget.”

With emotions ranging from anxiety to disbelief to pure excitement, none of the three acts know quite what to expect on July 2. With Stadium of Fire just six weeks away, they’re gearing up for, what is to them, the performance of their lives.

Ten of the best up-and-coming musical artists from across Utah and America will perform at a public concert on Saturday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. at Mountain View High School in Orem as part of the Stadium of Fire Talent Search, sponsored by America’s Freedom Festival. Local comedian and internet celebrity Stephen Jones will host the free event.

The Top Ten finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges the evening before at an audition where the best 25 Talent Search contestants, selected by the public through an online vote earlier this month, will perform. All 25 will battle it out for a coveted spot during Saturday night’s Top Ten show.

“The talent coming into this competition is pretty amazing,” said Stephen Jones. “I’m stoked to see what the contestants bring to the table on the 14th.”

After evaluating the Top Ten on Saturday evening, a panel of judges will send the best three to Stadium of Fire on July 2, where they will compete before an audience of almost 50,000 to win $10,000. Country music superstar Brad Paisley will headline the event, with American Idol alumnus David Archuleta also performing. Excellent seats are still available for Stadium of Fire, and can be purchased at stadiumoffire.com.

“This is the first year the Freedom Festival has sponsored the Talent Search, and I’m very proud of the show we plan to present on May 14,” said Carl Bacon, senior executive producer of Stadium of Fire. “I can’t think of another concert in Utah that brings so many talented and notable acts together on one stage. It will be a fun show, with a few excellent surprises in store.

The concert will take place in the auditorium of Mountain View High School, at 665 W. Center Street in Orem. Doors open to the public at 6:30 p.m. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and are free of charge.

America’s Freedom Festival launched Stadium of Fire Talent Search in February of this year. Over 400 applicants, who varied from singers and dancers to instrumentalists and novelty acts, submitted videos of their performances to our website. The submissions were narrowed by the Festival to 40, and more than 67,000 people voted online for their favorite 25.

Kendra Lowe, an acclaimed pianist, violinist, organist and singer, is the chief producer of Stadium of Fire Talent Search.

Day One and Two: Baltimore, Hershey Chocolate Factory, Amish Country

Day Three: Gettysburg National Military Park, Harpers Ferry, Winchester, VA

Day Four: Shenandoah National Park, Monticello, University of Virginia

Day Five: Manassas National Battlefield Park, Great Falls Park, Washington DC

Day Six and Seven: Washington DC

Visit here to learn more about this year’s Liberty Tour, including a more detailed itinerary and pricing. Space is on a first-come, first-served basis, so hurry and reserve yours!

America’s Freedom Festival is excited to announce CMA Entertainer of the Year Brad Paisley will officially headline 2011’s Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 2nd at Brigham Young University’s LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. American Idol alumnus and Utah native David Archuleta will also perform at the event.

Paisley is a consummate singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer, which has earned him three Grammy Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards and 13 Academy of Country Music Awards. He has released 18 #1 singles, with the last 14 consecutive. Paisley has also released nine critically acclaimed studio albums. His most recent album, Hits Alive, is a two-disc set of original studio hits as well as live performances from some of Paisley’s most popular concerts. Paisley’s innovative H20 World Tour played to over 879,000 fans in 2010 and placed as the #1 country tour for attendance by Pollstar, the concert trade publication. Paisley’s current single “This Is Country Music” is the title track from his next album, which will be in stores May 24.

“Brad Paisley is one of country music’s most exciting live performers,” said Carl Bacon, America’s Freedom Foundation trustee and senior executive producer of the event. “Brad will create a thrilling atmosphere at Stadium of Fire this year. We couldn’t be happier that he’s joining us for America’s best patriotic celebration.”

David Archuleta was runner-up during season seven of the phenomenally successful American Idol television series on the FOX network. The Murray, Utah native is now a household name, seeing enormous success with the song “Crush,” which charted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of its 2008 release and has since sold two million downloads.

“We have been trying to get David back for some time since he wowed our crowd at Stadium of Fire with the national anthem at age 13,” said Bacon. “His popularity in Utah is unparalleled.”

This year’s show will also feature performances from the three winning finalists of the first Stadium of Fire Talent Search, a unique talent competition that will spotlight up to 40 aspiring contestants from around the country in both online and live auditions between February and July. The three top contestants will perform live at Stadium of Fire to compete for cash prizes of up to $10,000. In an exciting conclusion to the months-long event, Stadium of Fire’s audience will vote for the winner via text.

The night will also include the Stadium of Fire Dancers, the biggest stadium fireworks show in America and other surprises.

Tickets to Stadium of Fire will go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 4th at 9 a.m. and will be sold simultaneously online at www.stadiumoffire.com, www.byutickets.com and at the BYU Marriott Center ticket office in Provo. Members of the Freedom Festival’s email list will have the option to purchase tickets before the general public, on March 2nd, so fans are encouraged to visit www.freedomfestival.org to sign up for advance ticket opportunities.

The Stadium of Fire event, now in its 31st year, has grown to become one of the United States’ premier patriotic celebrations, attracting an average attendance of 50,000 people and broadcast live to over one million military men and women in more than 100 countries via the American Forces Network.

Stadium of Fire is presented by America’s Freedom Festival, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization supporting educational programs and events that promote freedom and democracy. For the seventh consecutive year, the event will be created, produced and directed by the award-winning production team of Baruch/Gayton Entertainment Group.

Provo, Utah – February 7, 2011 –

“Every year the Freedom Festival receives multiple bids from talented individuals and groups that would like to perform in some way at Stadium of Fire,” said Carl Bacon, senior executive producer of this year’s show. “This competition is a new way to include many of these up-and-coming performers in our flagship event and allow them to be featured on the same stage as huge international headliners like those we’ve hosted in the past.”

Stadium of Fire Talent Search is divided in five phases. First, members of the public should submit a video of themselves performing a talent by registering online at freedomfestival.org. All videos must be submitted by March 15. The Freedom Festival will then choose the best 40 submissions to post online for a public vote in March. After the public vote, the top 25 performers will participate in a live audition in April where they will be evaluated by a panel of judges. The top 10 winners will advance to perform in a live, public concert in May, where they will again be judged by a panel of experts.

The top three contestants will perform live at Stadium of Fire on July 2, where a winner will be chosen by an audience of approximately 50,000 spectators. The winner will be awarded a generous cash prize.

“The Freedom Festival is opening up Stadium of Fire Talent Search to anyone in Utah and beyond,” said Kendra Lowe, who is producing much of the event. “We want singers, musicians, dancers, artists, stunt performers and anyone with a fun, creative talent to submit their video for a chance to perform at this year’s big show.”

Registration to enter and participate in Stadium of Fire Talent Search is free. Potential contestants should visit freedomfestival.org for more details. Precise locations and dates for the two live concerts, as well as additional contest details, will be released at a future date.