The Fourth of July is about celebrating Independence Day with friends, family, and of course, fireworks. Sure, you can stay at home and launch a few rockets into the sky, but no night is complete without a fireworks show large enough to silence you for 20 awe-inspiring minutes. Naples and the surrounding areas contain picturesque beaches with amazing sunsets, so why not venture to them for a fireworks show you won’t forget? Here are a few places you can catch them at:
Pre-Independence Day Party
Mercato’s Pre-Party
Mercato is starting things off a day early with a bash dedicated to America, complete with all-American lawn games (corn hole and giant checkers), live classic rock from Rockin’ Horse, tons of children’s activities for the young ones, and an outdoor bar for the young at heart.
- The party begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 2. Admission is free. For more information, visit mercatoshops.com.
Estero’s Independence Eve
Getting a jump on the Fourth of July party, Miromar Outlets will host its sixteenth annual Independence Eve Fireworks and sidewalk sale on July 3 from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.:
The Independence Sidewalk Sale runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 3 (sale runs through July 6), with individual store specials happening throughout the mall.
- For a look at participating stores and specials, visit miromaroutlets.com.
The Independence Eve Fireworks party begins at 6 p.m. with Rockin’ Horse kicking things off. Children’s activities, including face painting and a DIY balloon animal in the MundoFox Playland, will keep the kiddies entertained, while a musical trek back in time with the 80s Icon Band will take the stage at 7:55 p.m. as a primer for the fireworks display, which will erupt at 9:30 p.m.
- Admission is free.
- For more information, visit miromaroutlets.com.
Independence Day | Naples’ Block Party, Ice Cream Social and More
Runners Delight
For the early bird fitness buff, the thirty-seventh annual Moe’s Firecracker 5K Run is cracking to life at Fleischmann Park from 7 to 9 a.m., Saturday, July 4. Put on by the Gulf Coast Runners, the Firecracker 5K is one of the oldest and best attended race in Naples with a flat and fast track and open to all comers.
- For more info and registration, please call 239-434-9786 or click here.
Downtown and the Pier
Join the City of Naples for a classic downtown Independence Day celebration, starting with a parade and ending with a bombastic fireworks display:
Starting at 10 a.m., downtown will come to life with a family-fun parade for the Fourth of July. Beginning at Broad Ave. S., the parade route will take festive floats, entertainers, a salute to our armed services, and much more, north up Third Street South, then east along Fifth Avenue South.
The picture-perfect spot to enjoy fireworks this July Fourth is at the Naples City Pier. Arrive early and lay a blanket down on the adjacent beach to watch the sun set shortly after 8 p.m., and then lie back to gaze at sky-bound fireworks at 9 p.m. to complete a scene straight out of Hollywood. The 20-minute display is nothing but pure ecstasy to your sensations, as the fireworks will be musically choreographed to patriotic tunes that will be simulcast on radio station WAVV 101.1 FM. The pier is the best spot to view the spectacle, but if you can’t make it down to the pier area in time or can’t find parking, throw down a beach chair and kick back anywhere along the Naples Beach to be captivated. Personal use of sparklers and any other fireworks are prohibited by the city, and visitors are encouraged to use public parking downtown.
- Admission is free. For more information, please visit naplesgov.com.
I Scream for Ice Cream
Everyone loves ice cream, especially on a steamy summer day. To celebrate the Fourth of July and Parks and Recreation month, the Collier County Parks Department will host its annual ice cream social on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. at Sugden Regional Park. Guests can enjoy free ice cream from 2-4 p.m., and children’s activiites throughout the day. After 5 p.m., a live DJ will bring some tunes, while plenty of food vendors will be on hand for those Fourth of July family picnics. The party culminates with a fireworks display after sunset.
- Admission is free. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, but no coolers after 5 p.m. For more information, call 239-252-4000.
Star-Spangled Bonita
Combining fireworks with a spectacular laser light show, Bonita Springs’ “Star Spangled Bonita” Fourth of July celebration stands out with one of the more unique night-capping displays. This all-day festivity at Riverside Park includes a 5K run at 7:30 a.m. and patriotic-themed parade at 9 a.m., followed by an old-fashioned bed race, eating contests and other kids activities in the afternoon. Fireworks will launch at dusk, so keep an eye on the sun while you’re there. Here’s a complete lineup:
Bonita Springs will be showing its national pride with its annual Independence Day blowout, Star-Spangled Bonita:
The party begins early at 7:30 a.m. when the Rotary Club of Bonita Springs presents the fourth annual Star-Spangled 5K at Riverside Park. To register, click here.
At 9 a.m., following the 5K, Bonita Springs Professional Firefighters Local 3444 will lead a Fourth of July parade through downtown Bonita Springs.
The Star-Spangled Bonita party continues at 4 p.m. at Riverside Park, with a full slate of activities the whole family will enjoy. A children’s area will be packed with activities to keep the kids occupied and cool, including water slides, water tag, a bounce house, amusement rides, train rides, face painting, and more. For the partygoers with hearty appetites, watermelon, hot dog, and ice cream eating contests will be scheduled throughout the afternoon. At 5 p.m. a Bonita Springs tradition will take to Old U.S. 41. The old-fashioned bed race, put on by the Bontia Springs YMCA, pits teams of five in an all-out sprint pushing converted beds and bed-like contraptions down the streets of downtown. Live entertainment will include Rail Head and the Ben Allen Band.
As the sun sets and stars come out, fireworks and a laser light show will paint the night’s sky for the Independence Day grand finale.
- Admission to Star-Spangled Bonita is free to the entire community. Food and beverages will be available for purchase with proceeds from beverage sales benefiting the Rotary Club of Bonita Springs. For more information, call 239-949-6262 or visit cityofbonitasprings.org.
Marco Island’s Uncle Sam’s Sand Jam and Fireworks Display
The lush white sands of Marco Island’s Resident’s Beach will be the grounds for one huge beach party come this Independence Day, concluded by fireworks catapulted left and right into the sky at 9 p.m. If you want to avoid meandering through a crowd of people to see the show, walk further along the beach and pick a more relaxing spot. Guests can access Resident’s Beach off South Collier Boulevard near the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa.
- Parking at Resident’s Beach is for island residents only. For more information, call 239-389-5000, or visit cityofmarcoisland.com.
Historical Remembrance
The Estero Historical Society will recognize Independence Day by taking a look at the document behind the celebration, the Declaration of Independence. Starting at 10 a.m., visitors are invited to join the historical society in Estero Community Park for a reading of the Declaration of Independence. Each visitor will be given copies of the document, and each will be encouraged to read a passage. Though more subdued then the “bombs bursting in air” festivities elsewhere, the Declaration of Independence reading is an exercise of community and remembrance, with each participant taking a moment to recognize what makes this country so special. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
- Admission is free; please call 239-992-3178 or visit esterohistoricalsociety.com.
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