The Bonham Kiwanis Club invites the community and visitors to attend the 49th Annual Lights Over Lake Bonham Fireworks Show on Friday, July 3, at Lake Bonham, 7506 Lake Bonham Dr., Bonham, Texas. This year’s event will be especially meaningful as Bonham joins communities across the nation in Celebrating America’s 250th. Families are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a free evening of patriotic celebration over beautiful Lake Bonham.

Developers and community leaders gather to break ground on the second project of the 750,000-square-foot retail development. From left, Kenton McKeehan, President of Big V Property Group; Anna, Texas Councilwoman Kelly Patterson-Herndon; Anna Mayor Pro Tem Elden Baker; Anna Mayor Pete Cain; Anna Councilman Manny Singh; Anna Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Jessica Walden; Danielle Kaufman of Kaufman Consultants for The Seitz Group; Jeff Rosenberg, Chairman and CEO, Big V Property Group; Bryan Kallenberg, Vice President of Capital Markets of Big V Property Group (photo credit: Big V Property Group)

The 147th Leonard Picnic gets underway Thursday, July 9, 2026, with a performance by Jess Wolverton at 5:45 p.m. This time-honored North Texas tradition runs Thursday-Sunday, July 9-12, featuring a carnival, live music, a 5K, a car show, a golf tournament, a horseshoe tournament, and a parade and fireworks on Saturday, July 11. The Leonard Picnic will wrap up at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, July 12

A photograph of the Hindenburg’s lounge will be on display during the exhibition. On July 3, the Frontiers of Flight Museum will debut a new exhibition that takes a new look at the Hindenburg, focusing on its status as a luxurious passenger experience and the lasting impact of its design and innovation. As an example of just how over-the-top a trip on the Hindenburg was, a one-way ticket aboard the airship would cost $9,300 in today’s dollars.

The Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site invites the public to explore Service, Duty, and Home: The Maxey and Long Families in American History, a new temporary exhibit on display in the Visitor Center now through December 31.

1863 – American Civil War: The final day of the Battle of Gettysburg culminates with Pickett's Charge. Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg. It was ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee as part of his plan to break through Union lines and achieve a decisive victory in the North. The charge was named after Major General George Pickett, one of the Confederate Army's division commanders. The assault was aimed at the center of the Union Army's position on Cemetery Ridge, which was believed to be a vulnerable point in the Union defenses. As the Confederate troops marched across nearly a mile of open ground, they came under heavy artillery and rifle fire from entrenched Union forces. The open terrain offered little cover, making the Confederate soldiers easy targets, and their ranks were quickly decimated. Although a small number of the Confederate soldiers managed to reach the Union lines and engage in hand-to-hand combat, they were ultimately overwhelmed. The charge ended in a disastrous defeat for the Confederates, with more than half of the men involved either killed, wounded, or captured. Pickett's Charge marked the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg, and its furthest advance is called the "high-water mark of the Confederacy." The failure of the charge crushed the Confederate Army's hopes of winning a decisive victory in the North and forced General Lee to retreat back to Virginia. Years later, when asked why the charge at Gettysburg failed, Pickett reportedly said, "I've always thought the Yankees had something to do with it."