July 4th… Fourth of July… Independence Day, whatever you call it, it is a federal holiday celebrated throughout our country. The July 4th celebration dates back to 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. An independence gained from Britain for the 13 colonies to begin to act and work free & united as independent states apart from the monarch. 

Today, celebrations look very different from then but still celebrating the same independence and honoring those that continue to work to protect it! We will adorn our homes, boats, cars & most certainly outfits in our signature colors. Flags will fly a little higher this day and red, white & blue will most certainly be in attendance no matter where you may find yourself this July 4th. There will be cookouts, picnics, family reunions, parades, baseball games and most certainly fireworks. 

Oh the fireworks! What would a 4th of July be in Asheville, NC without bottle rockets and fireworks purchased from across the state line and fired off out of empty plastic 2 liter coke bottle. Sound familiar? We would gather & wait all day for the evening’s grand finale. I remember as a child our annual 4th of July neighborhood cookout. There were slip-n-slides and sprinklers, hamburgers & hotdogs, corn on the cob and most certainly watermelon. But nothing really topped the excitement that would come once the sun went down. Many of the dad’s would gather to come up with just the right plan for shooting the fireworks. These were not fireworks that would light the entire sky but there was guaranteed excitement and always a level of anticipation of “what really could go wrong here”?! The tipped over bottle that resulted in a bottle rocket zipping towards the neighbor’s front door…ohhhhhh, ahhhhhh! In the end, it turned out ok and left us kids with wonderful memories and learned lessons in firework safety that would last a lifetime (we now leave the proximate pyrotechnics to the professionals).

So how are you spending your 2024 Fourth of July?

We have compiled a list of activities around the area to give you some ideas for how to plan your Independence Day Celebration! Cheers to this amazing country and the freedoms we have and we honor those women & men that protect it! 

South Asheville Fireworks, Lake Julian: Arrive early to delight in the delicious food-truck lineup. Food trucks will be at the park from 2 to 9 p.m. There will also be an activity station where corn hole bags and horseshoes can be checked out. 

Downtown Asheville Block Party: Free event located in the South Slope Area presented by Ingles. Festivities kick-off at noon with food & beverage vendors, the Ultimate Airdogs, Music and a Firework grand finale at 9:30pm

Hendersonville: Just south of Asheville, check out Historic Downtown Hendersonville for a their annual Independence Day Parade & Firework Extravaganza.

Mars Hill: July 4th festival w/inflatables, music, food, and fireworks

Wicked Weed Funkatorium: South Slope block party with live music by Em & The Innocent Mischiefs and The Dirty French Broads at The Funk from 1-5PM. This is a fun, FREE and family friendly all day festival!

Highland Brewing Grateful Dead Tribute Band 4th of July: Come celebrate 4th of July with the music of America’s favorite band, played by Asheville’s favorite Grateful Dead tribute band!