Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence and it's one of my favorite holidays. It's a great opportunity to get together with family and friends and barbecue, swim, check out a local festival, or play sports (or maybe all of the above) and then watch the fireworks show. If you're in a good location, you can do like I do and just set up lawn chairs in your own backyard to watch several nearby pyrotechnics.
Jul 4, 10 a.m.-midnight. Enjoy a crafts, live music and entertainment, art, car and motorcycle show, parade, and fireworks at the Firewheel Town Center in Garland. Free.
Jul 4, 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Live music, free museum admission after 4 p.m., and food will be available at Fair Park. And fireworks will go off after dark, too, of course. Please leave the coolers at home, but bring lawn chairs or a picnic blanket. Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome.
Jul 3, 5 p.m.-midnight. Fireworks can be seen from anywhere in Addison, so pick your spot. Food, music, rock climbing wall, giant slide, and warplane fly-bys from the Cavanaugh Flight Museum will be at Addison Circle Park, 4970 Addison Circle Drive in Addison.
Jul 3 and 4, 3 p.m.-11 p.m. Pony rides, bounce houses, a petting zoo, clowns, and other fun stuff during the races, and fireworks after the last race at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie.
Jul 4, noon-11 p.m. Concert, food, family activities, a parade, and fireworks will be at the Bedford Boys Ranch at 2801 Forest Ridge Drive in Bedford. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers. No alcohol, please. Admission is free, but there is no parking at the Bedford Boys Ranch, except for those with handicap signs or plates. Park at Pennington Field at 1501 Central Drive in Bedford and catch the shuttle for $3 per person.
Jul 4, 9:30 p.m. Twenty minutes of fireworks will take off at the North Richland Hills Village Center, 6351 Boulevard 26 in Richland Hills at the intersection of Highway 26 and Highway 183 inside Loop 820.
Jul 4, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. The Irving Symphony Orchestra will put on a concert starting at 8:30 p.m. Food and beverages will be available. No coolers or alcohol permitted. Admission is free. The concert and fireworks will be at Williams Square Plaza (5215 North O'Connor Boulevard) in Las Colinas in Irving.
Jul 4, 9:30 p.m. The city of Plano will have a fireworks show at the Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve at 2801 Spring Creek Parkway. Some food and beverages will be available for purchase. Free parking will be at Collin County Community College and First United Methodist Church of Plano. Radio station KLAK 97.5 will have a simulcast during the fireworks show.
Jun 27-28. Pizza Hut Park in Frisco plays host to Celebrate Freedom 2008. For two days, three stages will be full of Christian rock groups and speakers. VeggieTales characters, inflatable rides and slides, jump rope demonstrations, dance teams, and cheerleaders are just some of the entertainment available. Admission is free, but parking is $10-15. Pizza Hut Park is at the intersection of Dallas Tollway and Main Street in Frisco, near the intersection of Dallas Tollway and Eldorado Parkway.
