Local residents wanting to see fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July can enjoy them before, during and after the actual holiday.
(Courtesy of Tony Masella/OurTownFla.com)
Multiple venues will host fireworks shows as part of special holiday celebrations July 3-5, along with a number of other activities to help celebrate Independence Day in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.
Those who want to celebrate early can visit The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel, on July 3. The shopping complex, home to around 100 different retailers, is the site of the third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival. Last year’s event drew around 30,000 people.
The free event begins at 5 p.m., and includes a watermelon-eating contest and a bicycle-decorating contest. But one of the highlights is a patriotic-themed pageant to crown Little Miss and Mr. Firecracker across several age groups.
The pageant was a favorite in 2013, and should be bigger this year, said Debbie Detweiler, director of marketing for The Shops.
“It’s grown so much that we’re having it hosted up on the center court stage this year,” she said. “It was a really popular part of the event last year, and we want to make more room for it.”
Winners will be announced for participants in three separate categories: Ages 3 months to 1, ages 2 to 4, and ages 5 to 8.
The fireworks show begins at 9 p.m., with approximately $9,000 worth of pyrotechnics on display.
On July 4, the annual Sparklebration event will be held at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City. It includes a watermelon-eating contest, a hot dog-eating contest and bounce houses.
Gates open at 3 p.m. The fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. The cost is $5 per person, with children younger than 12 admitted free. Parking also is $5.
For anyone who missed the events on July 3 and July 4, or wants to celebrate a little longer, there are a couple of local options the following day. Avalon Park West, 5227 Autumn Ridge Drive in Wesley Chapel, will host its free Independence Day Festival on July 5.
According to Kristin Muslin, marketing and events coordinator for Avalon Park West, it’s more important for the community to schedule an event when people can attend than to make sure it falls on the Fourth of July.
“Having an event during the week is a little bit more difficult for a lot of people to attend,” Muslin said, noting that July 4 falls on a Friday this year. “So it’s kind of important for us to make it a little bit easier for families to be able to spend time together on the weekend.”
Avalon Park West also wants to use the event as an opportunity to showcase its neighborhood, which has around 70 occupied homes. With future planning allowing for 4,800 homes to be built, the Independence Day Festival allows the community to learn a bit more about them, Muslin said.
Avalon Park West’s town center will serve as the focal point of the festival.
The event includes bounce houses, giveaways, community performances and food trucks. More than 50 vendors are expected to be in attendance. A bicycle parade starts at 5:30 p.m., and the fireworks begin at 9 p.m.
That same day, Connerton, a community located on U.S. 41 about seven miles north of State Road 54, will host a free Fifth of July event starting at 5 p.m. Its celebration also is a chance to show off the 8,000-acre community, which includes a 3,000-acre nature preserve.
The celebration includes live music, games, prizes, and bounce houses. Food trucks and refreshments will be available, and guests are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. The fireworks start at 9 p.m.
For more information about the Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com.
For more information about Sparklebration at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, call (352) 567-6678, or visit www.pascocountyfair.com.
For more information about Avalon Park West’s Independence Day Festival, call (813) 482-5361.
For more information about Connerton’s Fifth of July event, visit Connerton.com.
Published July 2, 2014
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