The 43rd edition of the Wake Forest Fourth of July Celebration will be presented on July 3 and 4 with the stadium show and fireworks display the night of the 3rd and the children’s parade and art and games in the park during the day on the 4th.
Sunday night the Band of Oz will entertain in Trentini Stadium on the Wake Forest High School campus along Stadium Drive before the fireworks show begins about 8:30 p.m. with the Friendship Chapel Baptist Church Choir opening for them. Expect to see Don Carrington’s Parachute Team descending at some point. Gates to the stadium open at 5:30 p.m. and there is parking including handicapped parking on the school campus and nearby. Watch for directions and guidance from Wake Forest police officers.
Concessions, including hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, and snow cones will be available for purchase at the stadium and fireworks show. Three food trucks will also be on site, including Lumpy’s Ice Cream, Charlie’s Kabobs, and Fuzzy’s Empanadas.
Picnic baskets and/or coolers are allowed but will be inspected before being permitted inside the stadium. Alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited on the Wake Forest High School campus. Families may tailgate in the parking lot, but everyone that enters the school campus must be a paying spectator.
On Monday morning, children, parents and dogs will start lining up for the children’s parade at 10 a.m. on North Main Street. The parade starts at 10:30, marching down North Main, around the seminary campus and ending at Holding Park for games and art in the park.
Children of all ages are invited to create a variety of colorful arts and crafts projects inside the Wake Forest Community House, join in a slew of games and activities at Holding Park, and enjoy several giant inflatables at R.H. Forrest Field. The VFW Chuckwagon and Pelican’s SnoBalls will be on site selling concessions. The Wake Forest Community House and Holding Park are located at 133 West Owen Avenue, while Forrest Field is located at 123 West Owen Avenue.
The activities on Monday, July 4, are free but tickets are needed for Sunday night’s stadium show and fireworks. Many people each year buy their tickets early at a discounted rate of five for $20; tickets at the gate are $5 for everyone over 6 years of age. The discounted tickets are at the following locations:
- Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, 305 S. White St.
- Wake Forest Weekly, 229 E. Owen Ave.
- Aloha Tan, 12223 Hampton Way Dr.
- All About Hair & Nails, 12223 Hampton Way Dr.
- Town & Country Hardware at Gateway Commons, 910 Gateway Commons Circle
- NC General Stores, 150 S. White St.
- For Old Times Sake Antiques, 223 S. White St.
- Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St.
For the first time, advance tickets can be purchased online at www.WFJuly4th.com. You can print out the ticket at home and it must be redeemed for a wristband at the red tent at the main gate.
Wake Forest Fourth Committee Chairman Rob Mitchell said those game troupers who have portrayed Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam for years will appear again this year, with Bonnie Johnson as Lady Liberty for both the stadium show and the children’s parade. Town Commissioner Greg Harrington will by Uncle Sam Sunday night and Bill Brown will march in the children’s parade Monday morning.
There is still time to volunteer to help with any or all of the festivities. If you are new to town, helping with the Fourth is a great way to quickly immerse yourself in the community while having fun and longtime residents can get out of rut with a few hours of new experiences.
To volunteer, http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4caba728abf58-wake lists the specific tasks and times more people are needed. This year as in the past, the most volunteers are wanted to help with all aspects of the stadium show. Mitchell will be very appreciative.
