Sarasota July 4 Fireworks, Parades and More: 2018 Guide

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL -- From North Port to Longboat Key, downtown to out at sea, opportunities abound throughout Sarasota County to let freedom ring this Fourth of July.

Fireworks Over Sarasota Bay

In downtown Sarasota, hundreds of thousands will gather for Fireworks Over Sarasota Bay on the south side of the Ringling Bridge.

The free fireworks show starts at 9 p.m. on July 4 and can be viewed throughout Island Park, Bayfront Park, and downtown Sarasota. If the free parking at Island Park and Bayfront Park fills up, parking can be found, for free, off Main Street and Ringling Boulevard. Paid parking can be found at the Palm Avenue Garage for $5.Part of the Suncoast Offshore Festival, the fireworks show is privately funded and benefits Suncoast Charities for Children.

Or get tickets at Marina Jack’s for guaranteed prime viewing as well as live music and special menu items. Reservations are required.

To prepare for the show in style, take a cruise on the Marina Jack II and enjoy beef tenderloin and grouper while watching the fireworks display. The boat will return to dock at 9:30 p.m.

Le Barge Tropical Cruises will also offer a fireworks cruise.

Or head to the third annual Office Bar SRQ Rooftop Party, 1989 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, for a panoramic view of the fireworks over the bay. There will be craft beer and food available for cash purchase only. Parking is available in an adjacent parking garage. For more information about the event, call (941) 266-5085.

All-American Cookout

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 900 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota, will host an all-American barbecue cookout by Michael’s on East Wednesday, July 4 from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

Families can also enjoy slides, live music by The Hydramatic, yard games with front-row seats to the fireworks over Sarasota Bay. General admission is $35.

A trolley from the Sarasota Friendship Center at 1888 Brother Geenen Way will be available. Valet parking will also be available. Tickets for the event range from $25 to $100. Tickets for children between ages 4 and 12 are $10 and children under age 3 are free.

North Port Freedom Festival

The Freedom Festival in North Port opens its doors at 6 p.m. July 4 for a night of family fun with face painting, rock walls, food, merchandise vendors, entertainment by NEXXLEVEL and a fireworks display at dusk.

Since 2004, the North Port Freedom Festival has been recognized as one of the city's signature events.
This year the Freedom Festival, presented by Moe's Southwest Grill, is expected to attract more than 5,000 attendees to North Port High School, 6400 W. Price Blvd., North Port. The fireworks will be choreographed to music and broadcast live on KDW Radio, 95.7 FM.

No coolers, pets, personal fireworks or sparklers will be permitted in the festival area. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets to spread out on the field. Some stadium seating will be available. A limited area for lawn chair seating has been identified around the stadium and at Butler Park. Bring your own chair. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. There will also be a nonperishable food drive.

Free parking for the event is available at five different lots adjacent to the festival site.

Firecracker 5K Race

The city of North Port will host its 12th annual Firecracker 5K race July 4 starting at 7:30 a.m. at the Morgan Family Community Center, 6207 W. Price Blvd., North Port.

The flat, fast 3.1-mile race will be well marked with a water station along the route. Awards will be presented immediately following the race. T-shirts are guaranteed to the first 300 entrants. Registration remains open until July 3.

Englewood Firecracker Festival

The Englewood Firecracker Festival and Block Party will take place July 4 starting at 10 a.m. at Lemon Bay Park, 570 Bay Park Blvd., Englewood.

There will be food, crafts, muscle cars, drinks, a kids’ area and live music. As the sun goes down, the fireworks will up go up over Lemon Bay. Admission is free.

Siesta Key Fireworks Display

The 28th annual Siesta Key Community Fireworks Display will take place July 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Siesta Key Public Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key.

Hosted by the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, the event will begin with a beach party at 6 p.m. The fireworks will be blasted off north of the volleyball courts so viewing is good anywhere south and along Crescent Beach, or from the Gulf or Intracoastal Waterway.

Viewing, and necessary parking, is free to the public, but sponsorship of the event includes preferred seating and parking. Ideal locations to watch the fireworks include anywhere along Crescent Beach. For boaters, the best views are via the Intracoastal Waterway or the Gulf of Mexico.

Good weather brings estimates of 20,000 to 30,000 to the fireworks on Siesta Key, which begin around 9 p.m. Call (941) 349-3800.

Fireworks Over Venice

Venice’s annual Independence Day fireworks display will light up the night sky on Wednesday, July 4.

The fireworks will be shot from the South Jetty shortly after 9 p.m. The free show will last an estimated 30 minutes.

Although the Jetty and Jetty Jacks Refreshment Deck will be closed for safety, the fireworks display may be viewed on area beaches from Caspersen to Nokomis, as well as from other places around Venice. Another way to get a good view of the show is from the water. Boats should be at anchor by 8:30 p.m. on Independence Day; the Venice Inlet will be closed to boat traffic at 8:45 p.m. until about a half-hour after the display’s grand finale. The show typically draws 10,000 to 15,000 people.

The South Jetty (Humphris Park) at 2000 Tarpon Center Drive, will close the day before, July 3, at 12:01 a.m. to all vehicles, pedestrians and anglers so that Garden State Fireworks can set up. This closure includes the Jetty walkway, parking lot, Jetty Jacks concessions and restrooms through July 4.

Tarpon Center Drive will remain open, allowing all vehicle traffic to turn around at the entrance to the Jetty park.

Pets and personal fireworks are not permitted.

Fourth Of July Jam Blast

Begin celebrating the USA early in the day at the Myakka River Kayak Festival and Fourth of July Jam Blast at Snook Haven Restaurant at 5000 E. Venice Blvd. in Venice. Beginning at 8 a.m., the family-friendly festival will feature live music, food and drinks, as well as canoe and kayak rentals to meander down the scenic Myakka River.

Live musical entertainment will take place throughout the day, kicking off with Steve Arvey, who will play from 11 a.m. to noon. From 12:30 to 4 p.m., Treble Hook’s Florida Folk and Medicine Show will perform, bringing a unique Americana/bluegrass sound to the Snook Haven stage.

Kayak and canoe rentals will be available starting at 8 a.m. or you can bring your own. This is a free event hosted by the Friends of Sarasota County Parks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of parks in Sarasota County.

Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival

The week-long Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival offers a schedule chock-full of events through July 4 including a car show, comedy night and charity ride. The event culminates with the Bayfront Fireworks Spectacular in the evening of July 4 at 5 Island Park Drive, Sarasota.

Patriotic Spectacular Concert

An annual sell-out, come celebrate the holiday in song with The Choral Artists of Sarasota, which will perform traditional tunes like “America, the Beautiful,” “God Bless America” and other favorites at the First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, starting at 4:30 p.m. July 4.

Hot Diggity Dog Parade In Longboat Key

Celebrate Independence Day at the annual Freedom Fest and Hot Diggity Dog Parade on Longboat Key.

Wagons and bikes decorated in red, white and blue, firetrucks and police cars and pets will parade down Bay Isles Road starting at 8:30 a.m.

After the parade, enjoy food, activities and games at Bicentennial Park, 500 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key.

The annual Firecracker 5K Run is scheduled to take place at 7:30 a.m. on July 4th. Located at the Morgan Family Community Center, on 6207 West Price Boulevard, registration for the run costs $25. Final registration ends on July 3rd. Registration and packet pick-up will be administered between 6:15 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. at the community center. The course for the run is a fast 3.1 miles of flat terrain. A yearly tradition, the race is a staple event during the area’s 4th of July festivities.

The yearly Longboat Key Freedom Fest Parade is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m., at Longboat Key Town Hall. Located at 501 Bay Isles Road, the parade will feature local police, firefighters, and government officials. Families are also encouraged to join the parade with decorated bikes, cars, scooters, and wagons. Following the parade are various children’s activities in Bicentennial Park, including face painting and sand art.

Inaugural Fourth Of July BBQ & Coastal Food Fest

Eliza Ann's Coastal Kitchen, the signature restaurant at Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club, 5325 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, will host its inaugural Fourth of July BBQ & Coastal Food Fest with Motorworks Brewing.
The festivities will take place on Wednesday, July 4 from noon to 6 p.m. on the pool deck and outdoor patio of Eliza Ann's Coastal Kitchen. For $24 per adult and $18 per child under 12, guests can enjoy a buffet menu including locally caught grilled fish, Carolina gold pork ribs, picnic fried chicken, boiled blackened potatoes and andouille sausage and more.

Motorworks Brewing will also have beer selections on tap like a “Sailor’s Friend Mango Kolsch,” a specialty brewed specifically for Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club along with two other local favorites, VTwin Vienna Lager and Pulp Friction Grapefruit IPA - Gold Medalist at the 2017 Best Florida Beer Championship. There will be live entertainment by local singer/songwriter, Mike Sales and kids' activities.
Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling (941) 238-6264.

Image via city of Sarasota

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