The city of Shawnee will partner with Merriam this year to host Fields for Freedom, which will be today through July 7.

Businesses and neighborhoods in Merriam and Shawnee will be transformed into a sea of red, white and blue as Fields for Freedom organizers set up and place more than 2,000 U.S. flags at the Merriam Marketplace, Irene B. French Community Center, along Merriam Drive and along Johnson Drive at Shawnee Town and Herman Laird Park.

At 6 a.m. today, the field setup will begin, with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. A patriotic program and picnic will begin at noon on July 4 at the Merriam Marketplace, 5740 Merriam Drive. The program will include guest speaker Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., a vintage warplane fly-over and music by the 35th Infantry Division Band.

Flag sponsorships from $25 to $5,000 can be purchased and can be ordered either online at www.healingfield.org/merriam and www.cityofshawnee.org or at the flag field during operation. Flag sponsors also may include a yellow dedication ribbon tied to their sponsored flag for an additional $1.

Each flag will be flown throughout the Fields for Freedom event and available July 7 to take home