Woodstock July 4th Fireworks, Parade: 2018 Guide

WOODSTOCK, GA — The city of Woodstock is preparing to host its annual July 4th Spectacular featuring a road race, parade, festival and fireworks display on Wednesday, July 4.

The city's celebration of Independence Day kick off at 7:15 a.m. with the return of the popular Freedom Run, the annual 5K that begins and ends along Main Street near Morgan's Ace Hardware. Festivities continue with the highly-anticipated parade starting at 10 a.m.

The procession will begin at Woodstock Elementary School on Rope Mill Road and travel down Main Street until reaches Sam's Club near Highway 92 where the parade will end. You should note that the parade will be held rain or shine — unless inclement weather rolls into the area.

Be sure to stick around downtown Woodstock for the festival at the Park at City Center. From 11 a.m to 3 p.m., the entire family can enjoy music, food, arts and crafts, children's activities and more.

Last, but certainly not least, is the fireworks show that will top off the celebration. As always, fireworks will go off at dusk behind the Target shopping center along Highway 92 west of Interstate 575.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here)

All of these events won't be possible without road closures and a traffic control plan carried out by the city. Here's what you can expect on July 4 if you're planning to get out and about in your vehicle:

• 7 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.: Main Street/Rope Mill Road will close from Highway 92 to Woodstock Elementary School for the Freedom Run.
• Around 8:45 a.m., Main Street/Rope Mill Road from Highway 92 to Woodstock Elementary School will reopen briefly before the parade.
• At 9:45 a.m., Main Street/Rope Mill Road will close again for the parade scheduled to start at 10 a.m. It's scheduled to reopen around 11:30 a.m.

Other road closures scheduled during the downtown events include Main Street at Sam's Club, Serenade Drive, Bowles Drive, Ingram Street, Barnesdale Terrace, Dupree Road, Fowler Street, Oak Street, Elm Street, Mill Street and Dobbs Road; Arnold Mill Road at Hubbard Drive, East Main Street and Main Street; Rope Mill Road at Woodstock Elementary School, Kyle Street and Rusk Street; and Towne Lake Parkway at Main Street and Woodstock Parkway.

For the fireworks, the city anticipates a high volume of traffic on roadways surrounding the event. At the conclusion of the show, Woodstock police officers will direct motorists to comply with the following traffic management plan:

• All vehicles parked south of Highway 92 (including Super Target, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Lowe’s, Molly Lane and Woodstock Square Avenue) will be directed to turn right onto Highway 92 and travel east.
• Vehicles parked north of Highway 92 (including The Home Depot, Big Lots, Hennessy Honda, and IHOP) will be directed to turn right onto Highway 92 and travel west.
• No left turns or U-turns will be permitted on Highway 92 during or after the fireworks until the streets and parking lots are clear.

Sign boards will be present at exits to assist motorists with direction of travel. Motorists are reminded to drive with caution around pedestrians, comply with uniformed police officers directing traffic and allow for extra travel time to and from the events.

If you're worried about the weather, you should know that there's a chance for thunderstorms every day this week, according to the National Weather Service. On Wednesday, a 30 percent chance for rain kicks in at about 9 a.m. and lasts all day. Otherwise, it will be sunny, with highs hovering around 90 degrees. We'll have that same 30 percent chance after dark, so keep an eye on the latest forecasts before heading out to enjoy the fireworks shows in the metro Atlanta area.

You can learn more about the city's events by visiting the Woodstock Parks and Recreation website. You can also keep tabs on the city's event by visiting its Facebook page.

Image via Patch