Fun and fireworks are what the South is all about when celebrating Independence Day.
Get your red, white and blue on at any Fourth of July events happening throughout the region. In addition to the celebrations listed in Southern Hospitality Magazine's calendar, check out the following:
🎆 Events at Branson (Mo.) Landing's 16th annual Liberty Light Up Celebration on July 3 features a concert from 6:30 - 10:30 p.m., followed by a choreographed fireworks display over Lake Taneycomo with an amazingly choreographed fireworks display.
🎆 On July 4, at dusk, Top of the Rock*, near Branson, hosts a fireworks show over Table Rock Lake. Take in the show that includes views of the Ozark mountains and Table Rock Lake.
*$25 parking fee.
🎆 In Dallas, Texas, Fair Park Fourth, presented by Regions Bank, is scheduled for July 4 from 4:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. The fun-filled festivities for all ages include hands-on activities for kids, local market vendors, live music and food trucks. A fireworks show concludes the evening.
🎆 Celebrate the nation's independence in the twin cities of Monroe-West Monroe, La. Take part in all-day festivities on July 1, and end the night with the annual firework show will start at 9:00 p.m. The fireworks are shot from the Endom Bridge over the Ouachita River and are best viewed from downtown West Monroe, downtown Monroe, or the West Monroe levee.
🎆 On July 4, the City of Birmingham, Ala., lights up the sky behind Vulcan with Thunder on the Mountain at Vulcan Park and Museum, 9 p.m. Organized by Vulcan Park & Museum and its corporate partners, the show features artists such as James Brown, Imagine Dragons and Neil Diamond expertly timed and choreographed to the fireworks display. There's also a selection of songs as a tribute to the city.
🎆 OWA's 4th of July Weekend Party, June 30 - July 2, includes red, white, and blueberry treats, a bubble truck party and live music performances. The Foley, Ala.-based attraction also offers a dive-in movie*, "The Parent Trap" (1998), at Big Water Bay inside Tropic Falls. The festivities' highlight is the fireworks show synchronized to patriotic music on July 1 at 8:50 p.m.
*Tropic Falls general admission is required for the dive-in movie.
🎆 Lake Lanier Islands in Buford, Ga., offers various Independence Day weekend activities, such as water activities, dining specials and live music. Of course, a 4th of July celebration is complete with fireworks scheduled at 10 p.m., Saturday - Tuesday, over Paradise Beach.
🎆 Panama City Beach, Fla., is home to the largest Fourth of July fireworks show on the Gulf Coast with Real. Fun. Fourth. Featuring four fireworks shows over three days - Sunday through Tuesday - the skies sparkle and glow over the bay and the Gulf.
🎆 Independence Day fun in St. Augustine, Fla., starts on Monday with a two-day event ~ Oakfest with Chillula at the Colonial Oak Music Park, with music, dancing and fun for the entire family.
Only July 4, Fireworks Over the Matanzas in St. Augustine, Fla., kicks off at 6 p.m. with the All-Star Orchestra performing in the gazebo in the Plaza de la Constitución. The fireworks show begins at 9:30 p.m. and can be viewed from downtown St. Augustine, the Bridge of Lions, the Davis Shores neighborhood, and Vilano Beach.
🎆 Port Canaveral, Fla., illuminate the skies with color and sound on July 2 for the annual "Smoke on the Water & Fire in the Sky" fireworks celebration hosted by the Cove Merchants Association at Port Canaveral and the Canaveral Port Authority. The festivities begin at 5:00 p.m., and the fireworks launch after dark at 9:00 p.m.
The event at Port Canaveral is the first of three area fireworks celebrations that are the trademark of the Space Coast's Independence Day events - July 3 fireworks at Cocoa Beach, followed by July 4 fireworks at Cocoa Village.
🎆 Join the Fourth of July Block Party in downtown Ft. Myers, Fla., on July 4, 6 –9 p.m., and celebrate with plenty of music and food.
Also, on the 4th, the River District Alliance will host its annual Freedom Fest along Edwards Drive from 6 p.m. The street fair includes food trucks, a featured band and vendors with crafts and items available for purchase.