E:
We asked & you answered! Thank you so much for sharing your favorite ways to spend the 4th of July with us!
I don’t know about you, but since I was a little kid, 4th of July has always been in my top two favorite holidays, coming in just slightly behind Christmas!
I can still remember heading to the park in San Marcos, California in the early afternoon to begin a day of sports, food, fun and sun and ending with an epic display of fireworks!
Now that I’m older, I realize that finding a fun place to watch the fireworks can be a daunting task. Since there are plenty of places in the 941 to celebrate, we wanted to be your insider’s guide to all things 4th of July!
M:
We have complied a list of 941 fireworks destinations by combining our personal favorites & suggestions from you all. We hope that you find them useful in planning a fun & safe holiday! Happy fourth!
Anna Maria Island:
The Sandbar Restaurant located on the Northern end of the Island is an excellent place to hang out all day. Located directly on the sand, you can enjoy the surrounding beach area during the day (or evening) and then lay back and enjoy the fireworks from various locations around you.
We will warn you- parking is tricky and you may have to test your luck with street parking where allowed; but if you’re okay with a short walk before and after, this is a “must experience” event for the whole family!
Bradenton/ Palmetto:
Many of you suggested the Palmetto fireworks display in response to our previous Instagram post.
Fireworks will be launched out of three different points from the Palmetto Bay Park over the Manatee River. This show is synchronized to music. I mean come on…How cool is that!
Here are a few hot tips. If you plan to view from the Palmetto side of the river, be sure to check out the party that happens in Palmetto Bay Park prior to firework showtime! You can read all the details here.
If you plan to view from the Bradenton side, the Bradenton Riverwalk and the Green Bridge Piers make for an excellent place to camp out and enjoy the incredible show in Palmetto.
Pier 22 was also a recommended spot to view the bright lights as it sits atop the Manatee River facing Palmetto. There is actually an event at Pier 22 serving a buffet and pig roast! If that sounds like a good time to you, you can get view their menu and purchase your tickets here.
If you’re looking for some live music, Caddy’s at the Pointe located near Manatee Memorial Hospital will be hosting The Torpedoes, an American rock band, for a fun-filled FOUR-day event. Find out more about their 4th of July festivities as well as other upcoming events you may not know about yet here.
Sarasota:
Bay Front Park (also known as Marina Jack’s) is one of the most incredible viewing locations for fireworks in our area. They put on an incredible show right off the water making all of Bay Front Park a front row seat!
If getting some exercise this holiday so you have the freedom (see what I did there?!?) to eat all the burgers and chips you want sounds like a plan you can get on board with, The Ringling Bridge has also been suggested as a beautiful viewing location for the Bay Front Park display.
Under the Ringling Bridge sits beautiful Bird Key Park. If you walk under the bridge towards the South side of the Ringling, the visibility of the fireworks is remarkable.
Again – we may warn you that parking is extremely limited, so you’ll either want to make it a day trip or plan to get your cardio in. Hey – 2 for 1 isn’t a bad deal!
And lastly on our list, the view from the rooftop bar on the Sarasota Westin is absolutely stunning. You can expect to feel surrounded by fireworks as you sit above the city and celebrate the holiday!
Space is limited, FYI, so early arrival may be necessary.
We hope this helps navigate a few (or most of the) free places to honor those who have fought and sacrificed for our country’s freedom. Please be responsible and kind, as always!
Please let us know if you find any other amazing places to celebrate this incredible holiday!
