ome of our best memories involve picking out our best red, white and blue ensembles and heading out for an evening of family, fun and fire- works for the Fourth of July. The annual City of Irving Sparks and Stripes is a full day of events beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 4, in Irving’s Heritage District with a parade. Following that, sink your teeth into the watermelon social at Heritage Park from 9 until 10 a.m. Get a good nap in, and then make your way to the Levy Event Plaza from 6 to 10 p.m. for live music, fun and games, plenty of food and drink, and a spectacu- lar fireworks event at 9:15 p.m. The City of Sachse hosts their annual Red, White and Blue Blast on Monday, July 3, at Heritage Park. The evening kicks off at 6 p.m. with live music from Party Machine Band, plus food trucks and vendors, games for the kids, and a splashdown provided by the Sachse Fire Department. Fireworks launch at 9:30 p.m. with a patriotic soundtrack. The Sound at Cypress Waters presents their second annual Sensory Sensitive Fourth of July Celebra- tion on Monday, July 3, for anyone who needs and/ or appreciates a less bombastic (and loud) Indepen- dence Day. People (and pets) with noise sensitivity are in good hands with this thoughtful and fun event that features a colorful and patriotic laser light show at dark. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with animal ed- ucation from The Creature Teacher, Disc Dog demon- strations, a Dallas Symphony Orchestra “petting zoo”, face painting, balloon artists, and arts and crafts. 1999: The Legacy of Prince will strut their stuff beginning at 7:30 p.m., and the light show brightens up the night at 9:40 p.m. Lone Stars and Stripes Fireworks Festival at Lone- star Park caps off a day of thoroughbred racing: gates open at 3pm on Tuesday, July 4 and the first live race is at 5 p.m. There’ll be live music on the Courtyard of Champions stage from 3 to 9 p.m. with Vegas Stars, and family fun activities with a petting zoo, pony rides, face painters, inflatables, and games. A breathtaking 20-minute fireworks show kicks off after the last race; admission is $10 and veterans with a military ID get in free. Fair Park Fourth is a Big D tradition in the iconic art-de- co grounds of Fair Park. The free festival, sponsored by Regions Bank, offers hands-on activities for kiddos, local market vendors, live music, entertainment, food trucks and concessions. Guests can enter the park at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, and experience the show from the park grounds or from inside the Cotton Bowl. The Fort Worth Fourth at Panther Island Pavilion is hosted by the Tarrant County Water District and boasts a Texas-size celebration on the banks of the Trinity River. Gates open at 5pm on Tuesday, July 4, for festival food, cold beverages, activities for kids, live music and an awe-inspiring fireworks show. Kaboom Town, in Addison’s Circle Park, is one of the area’s biggest Fourth of July celebrations: the event draws roughly 500,000 people to its airshow and fire- works display. The Addison Airport Airshow takes flight at 7:30 p.m. with fireworks popping off at 9:30 p.m. The Family Fourth in Richardson salutes the US of A with an epic celebration starting at 6pm on Tuesday, July 4, at Breckinridge Park. Attendees can spread out their picnic blankets and enjoy concessions from area vendors, a patriotic concert from the Richardson Community Band, and—of course—a gorgeous fire- works display at 9:30 p.m. Shuttle service to the park is available. Rowlett’s Fireworks on Main offers up a dazzling Fourth of July bash from 5 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, at Pe- can Grove Park. Sample bites from onsite food trucks, and let your kids play ‘til they drop in the children’s areas. Groove to sounds from Summer Dean, Live 80, and Emerald City Band—and gawk at the pyrotech- nics beginning at 9:30 p.m. Lewisville lights up the night at their annual Free- dom Festival at Lake Avalon Park from 5:30 until 9:30 on Tuesday, July 4th. Kids are invited to experience face-painting, balloon artists, caricature artists, bounce houses and water slides, and a ninja tower—while adults hit up food trucks and enjoy live music from Gratzi, The Bandulus, and Burning Sky Band. Fireworks cap off the night’s festivities. For a more climate-controlled celebration, the Dallas Winds present their Star-Spangled Spectacular at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on Tuesday, July 4, at 1 p.m. This annual concert is a love-letter to the red, white and blue that includes a patriotic perfor- mance, plus hot dogs, ice cream, and indoor fireworks. Tickets are $21 and up. S The Sound at Cypress Waters SPARKS FLY 6 DALLAS OBSERVER • SUMMER GUIDE 2023
