Just because Independence Day is over, doesn't mean the red, white and blues are forgotten in Austin.

Day two of Freedom Fest in the Heartland offers Family Fun Day in downtown Austin.

Tonight, one option available is to take a ride on the city of Austin's SPAMtown Belle paddle boat and dance the night away at the downtown street dance.

The SPAMtown Belle paddle boat rides on East Side Lake take place from 5 to 7 p.m. The street dance fun begins at 8 p.m. with four bands playing music on two stages

Tickets are $5 each and children 10 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

Special prize drawings for Northwest Airlines tickets take place at 11 p.m. followed by the festival's button drawing.

There will be country and rock music, plus food and drink concessions in the downtown plaza area.

The Saturday festival schedule features a wide range of sports events, including a three-mile walk at 7 a.m., the Friendship Bike Ride and the five-mile Hog Jog.

But Saturday's Country Comes to Town extravaganza will delight the entire family.

Beginning 9 a.m. Saturday, the events take place in Austin Community and Lafayette parks.

There will be a somber note to the Saturday schedule. A giant American flag, containing the victims of the Sept. 11, terrorist attacks on America will be displayed on the side of Skinners Hill. Melissa Nelson of St. Cloud will bring her one-of-a-kind salute to America to the hillside where observers may reflect.

The bandshell stage will feature a variety of entertainers throughout the day as well as the always popular Taste of Country food expo.

It will be hard to decide between all of the action at Austin Community Park around the bandshell and the "Kaleidoscope of Country" fun at Lafayette Park.

The movie "Top Gun" will be shown at dusk at the bandshell. Concessions will be sold.

Red, white and blues

For others, the Independence Day holiday weekend will include a trip to Torge's parking lot at the Holiday Inn.

It will be all red, white and blues time Saturday , beginning at noon and continuing into the wee hours of Sunday morning.

The Hambone Blues Jam features over a dozen acts performing outside and inside Torge's

Admission is $5 for an all-day pass. Children 12 and under will be admitted free of charge when accompanies by an adult, and no coolers or pets will be allowed.

Lee Bonorden can be reached at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com