Thousands celebrate Independence Day at Martinsville Speedway

Free event featured bands, carnival rides and fireworks

RIDGEWAY, Va. – Martinsville Speedway replaced its cars with a carnival for the Fourth of July.

The speedway hosted an Independence Day celebration, which attracted thousands of people from around Southside Virginia. The celebration featured free carnival rides, two musical performances and fireworks when the sun went down.

"It's an honor to celebrate our nation's independence and have this celebration with everyone in Henry County coming out to the speedway," Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell said. "I look at it as an honor to host all of these families."

The celebration has been a Fourth of July tradition for the speedway for more than 20 years, and Campbell says he is not going to stop the tradition any time soon.

"This is too good of a thing to not continue," Campbell said. "Let's take this thing and keep going with it."