Fourth of July will look different across the nation this year, including here in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties, as the usual crowds of spectators gazing at fireworks are curbed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some annual local celebrations have been canceled or postponed. Others plan to go on, including one fireworks show on Friday and another on the actual holiday Saturday, but in socially distanced or virtual versions.
Fireworks on the Lake
Nathan Benderson Park will still hold its Fireworks on the Lake event Friday. However, it will not feature the live music, kids zone and non-fireworks festivities of previous years, instead moving to a drive-in setup.
Attendees purchase a parking area and are encouraged to remain in their vehicle the entire time, with digital tickets that can be scanned through the car window. Those who choose to watch the fireworks outside their vehicle are required to stay in their allotted area and wear a mask.
For those who can’t attend, the fireworks show is scheduled to air 8 p.m. Saturday on ABC7 WWSB as part of an Independence Day special. (Other televised Fourth of July specials will include PBS’ 40th annual “A Capitol Fourth,” featuring hosts John Stamos and Vanessa Williams, from 8 to 9:30 p.m., and a “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” special scheduled to air 8-10 p.m. on NBC.)
North Port Freedom Fireworks
The city of North Port also plans to host its annual Freedom Fireworks show as a drive-in event. Parking passes, if still available, are free with online registration at bit.ly/northportfireworks.
Passes will be required for entry, with attendees asked to print their pass and display it on their passenger-side dashboard. Attendees are also asked to stay with their vehicles, though there will be portable restrooms with hand-washing stations in all parking lots.
The fireworks will also be livestreamed on the Facebook page facebook.com/northportparksandrec. Those who don’t attend the event but live close enough to watch the fireworks from home can tune into WKDW 97.5 FM to hear accompanying music.
Other events
Myakka River restaurant Snook Haven still plans to hold its annual 4th of July Kayak Festival, featuring kayak rental deals, dishes like gator burgers, hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill and live music 1-4 p.m. from Steve Arvey. Yet it says this year’s event will be socially distanced, spacing tables at least six feet apart and prohibiting dancing.
Choral Artists of Sarasota’s annual Independence Day concert will take place as a virtual show this year, available on the group’s Facebook page and YouTube. The concert will feature highlights from past performances, including standards such as the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “America the Beautiful,” as well as composer and Sarasota resident Jerry Bilik’s “Independence,” with poet and performer Cedric Hameed narrating.
The fireworks display over Charlotte Harbor at Fishermen’s Village in Punta Gorda won’t take place this year, but it still plans to celebrate the holiday with a 10 a.m.-6 p.m. summer sidewalk sale featuring participating merchants, as well as live music from noon to 9 p.m.
Postponements/cancellations
However, multiple local Fourth of July events will not take place as scheduled. Sarasota’s Bayfront Fireworks Spectacular and Siesta Key Community Fireworks are both canceled this year, a joint press release in May announced. (Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix, which the Bayfront Fireworks are part of, also won’t happen this year.)
Manatee County’s annual fireworks show, which draws spectators to the Green Bridge and both sides of Manatee River, has been postponed until Labor Day. This year’s Fourth Fest in Palmetto, which has featured past national music headliners such as Smash Mouth and Charlie Daniels Band, is canceled.
The city of Venice is canceling this year’s Fourth of July fireworks display, City Manager Ed Lavallee previously announced. And the Freedom Swim, which draws hundreds of swimmers and paddlers to the Peace River between Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda annually, recently said it will not hold this year’s formal event.
Here’s more information on local Fourth of July events still taking place this year:
Fireworks on the Lake: 9 p.m. Friday (gates open at 7 p.m.; must arrive by 8:30 p.m.); Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota; $15 per car, $40 per RV; 941-358-7275; nathanbendersonpark.org
Fishermen’s Village July 4 Celebration: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. sidewalk sale, noon-9 p.m. live music Saturday; Fishermen’s Village, 1200 W. Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda; free; 941-639-8721; fishville.com
4th of July Kayak Festival: 1 p.m. Saturday; Snook Haven, 5000 E. Venice Ave., Venice; 941-485-7221; snookhaven.com
Choral Artists of Sarasota “American Fanfare” Virtual Concert: 4 p.m. Saturday; facebook.com/choralartistsofsarasota and choralartistssarasota.org/watch-listen; $10 suggested donation
Freedom Fireworks Show: 9 p.m. Saturday (parking opens at 8 p.m.); North Port High School, 6400 W. Price Blvd., North Port; free, but parking pass required; bit.ly/northportfireworks
