- July 26, 2024
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Celebrate this Fourth of July with the booming excitement of fireworks or a star-spangled parade. Whether you want family fun or a spectacular date night, there’s an event for you. Get ready for some patriotic fun.
An early celebration of fireworks is coming to town Saturday, June 29. Hosted at the Commons at Independence, Avenue of the Groves, the event will feature the INDY KidZone, food trucks and vendors. The event will last from 6 to 9 p.m., and wristbands are required to get into activities. Guests can pick up a wristband from the Falcon Square Luxury Apartments at Independence in its main office or at the Town Square Residents Club with a photo ID. A DJ and dance party will get the crowd pumped up for the fireworks over Lake Hancock.
Leave the children at home with a babysitter for this event. The MetroWest Golf Club, 2100 S. Hiawassee Road, is offering a special VIP section Thursday, July 4, to watch a $15,000 firework extravaganza. Celebrate the night from 6 to 10 p.m. with unlimited beer and wine. VIP members also will receive special hors d’oeuvres and can listen to live music by Absolute Queen and Will Donato. “It’s the best view in the whole area to see the fireworks show,” Catering Sales Director Chrissy Teixeira said. The festival also will have live music and food trucks, Teixeira said. The cost for VIP is $80, and tickets are available on Eventbrite until Tuesday, July 2.
Early birds and health fanatics: This event is for you. Tri & Run of West Orange is hosting a four-mile run on the Fourth of July. It starts at 7 a.m. behind the Oakland Presbyterian Church, 218 E. Oakland Ave. Sign-ups are still available until Wednesday, July 3, at trinrun.com. The registration price is $40 and the cost for registration on race day is $50. The race will include finisher medals, along with overall and age-group medals. Even if you’re not up for the run, walking is still allowed. There are only 400 spots total, and it is expected to fill up, said Jane Ducey, of Tri & Run. All proceeds will benefit Matthew’s Hope Ministries, and runners will be given “Bags of Blessings.” These bags are for the runners to collect non-perishable items and donate them to the Matthew’s Hope food pantry, Ducey said.
Start the Fourth of July off with a pancake decoration and breakfast for the whole family. The event will be hosted from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Windermere Town Hall, 520 Main St. Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children. They can be purchased at the door. Diane Edwards, town of Windermere assistant and event coordinator, said the event is expected to draw 300 people. “We’re actually cooking (the pancakes) there on site, so they will be warm and fresh,” Edwards said. Everyone can pick from a topping bar and dine on pancakes with sausage.
Start the patriotic festivities early with a serenade from the Voices of Life choir at Lifebridge Church. This choir performance focuses on the Fourth of July and is open to the public. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 30, at Lifebridge, 12120 Chase Road, and guests can enjoy the voices directed by Derric Johnson. The event is free, and the choir has been practicing since its last show in April, Executive Assistant Mara Tulenson said. This is a new series of shows the choir will be performing this year, she said. Johnson is best known for being a choir director of Disney’s Candelight Processional choir Voices of Liberty.
This 16th annual pancake and parade event on the Fourth of July is great for the entire family. Held at the Winter Garden Masonic Lodge, 230 W. Bay St., children and their families are invited to enjoy a pancake breakfast made by the members of the Masonic Lodge. Children get in free, and donations are being requested. After a morning of pancakes, children are invited to ride in a parade. Decorate your bike, scooters or strollers in a patriotic theme and ride around Winter Garden for an early-morning celebration. The breakfast will take place from 8 to 10 a.m., with the parade lineup starting at 9:45 a.m.
Winter Garden’s annual Party in the Park will begin at 6 p.m. July 4 at Newton Park, 31 W. Garden Ave. Take a chair, blanket or have a seat in the grass for this annual Winter Garden tradition. Live music, family activities, food and more keep the evening fun for all ages. The event will culminate with a fireworks display at 9:15 p.m. Parking is available at Health Central Park and Dillard Street Elementary. Because of the noise of fireworks and crowd size, pets are not recommended.
Extend your celebrations to the weekend with Winter Garden’s Independence Day-themed farmers market Saturday, July 6. The market will have activities for the whole family, including a photo booth and a patriotic decorating contest. It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the downtown pavilion, 104 S. Lakeview Ave. Make sure to come back later that night for some more family time from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Centennial Plaza, 101 W. Plant St. Grimes Alley Blues Band, will perform.
