The weekend's finally here! By now you should've finalized some sort of holiday action plan, but here's one last Fourth of July suggestion: Independence, Iowa. With just over 6,000 residents at last count, the town is certainly small, but as they say, "Everybody observes the Fourth of July, we celebrate it!"
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by kjb
If you can't decide on a place to celebrate the Fourth of July this year, then give Southern California a chance to impress. It's probably the only place where you can see some fireworks, hit a beach celebration, catch a baseball game and stop at an amusement park.
Start out the SoCal celebrations at the July 4th Fireworks Spectacular: A Ball at the Bowl with the LA Dodgers. The Los Angeles Philharmonic celebrates the team's 50th anniversary with greats from team history along with baseball music. They also welcome special guest Randy Newman. The festivities take place July 2-4 and each evening ends with, what else, fireworks. Tickets will run you at least $10 for this one.
Any Italy travel guide will advise you not to linger in the dodgier section of Naples near the Napoli Centrale train station. But we decided to ignore that suggestion, and after last night's stroll through the littered area, we did find some redeeming qualities. Like Carmine's fireworks bazaar in Piazza Mercato, your one-stop-shop for pyrotechnics and... kiddie tricycles?
When it comes to the Fourth of July, Philadelphia doesn't mess around. Things get started this Friday and continue through July 6 thanks to the celebration known as the Sunoco Welcome America Festival. This weekend there are family events during the day and free outdoor movies each night at different locations around the city, including a screening of "Rocky" on Saturday night.
If you love the Big Island of Hawaii and rubber duckies, then have we got a Fourth of July celebration for you: the 17th Annual Great Waikoloa Rubber Duckie Race. The whole day is filled with family fun including face painting, duck waddling contests and free-style quacking. There's even free popcorn and cotton candy.
The main draw of the event comes during the afternoon when the plastic ducks are released. The top 50 finishers are eligible for prizes, including a week-long stay at an Outrigger Villa or the Hilton Waikoloa Village. If your duck doesn't come in first, hope it comes in 17th, as that will get you 17 $100 bills.
Best of all, the proceeds from the event go to the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii. Last year the group was able to raise almost $40,000 for charity. Ducks start at $5 per bird, or get a $20 "quack pack" which includes three ducks and a shirt. If you didn't get up at the, uh, quack of dawn (sorry!), then you'll be able to stay up and enjoy the fireworks display around 9 pm.
Related Stories: [Photo: bitmap78]
· Fourth of July Revelers Can Find Family Fun at Waikoloa Resort [Star Bulletin]
· Waikoloa Beach Resort [Official Site]
· Fourth of July coverage [Jaunted]
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We've talked about how great the fireworks offerings are at beaches around the country this year. Unfortunately, sometimes there's just no escape from the urban jungle. But there's no need to panic, fireworks fans, as lots of big cities do a great job of making you feel all warm and fuzzy without having your toes in the sand.
Where better to start than the nation's capital? DC starts the celebration with America's National Independence Day Parade at 11:45 am. With more than 300,000 people expected, the parade makes its way down Constitution Avenue between 7th and 17th Streets, passing landmarks like the Washington Monument.
Make a day of it and hang around until about quarter after 9 pm when the fireworks are launched from behind the Lincoln Memorial. Head over to the National Mall after the parade to get the best spot.
Sure, fireworks above the skyscrapers in New York or the monuments in DC can be pretty spectacular. But with July 4th falling on a Friday this year, we'd prefer our three-day weekend with a little less city, and a little more beach.
So where to plan your 4th if you're looking for both fireworks and waves? Here's a sampling of some of the country's best beachside fireworks destinations.
For New Yorkers, rather than push your way through the East River throngs, train out to Long Island. The famous Grucci family, who put on the Manhattan fireworks show, also put one together in Southampton. If you can't get into a house share, grab a campsite at Hither Hills State Park in Montauk, where you can see the fireworks show from nearby Umbrella Beach.
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by BS
Saturday night marked one of Chicago's biggest with the 50th anniversary of its annual Venetian Night celebration. Crowds packed Lake Shore Drive (N&S) from Roosevelt Road to Monroe Street to catch the 30 lighted, decked out boats for a dazzling parade and a grand finale fireworks and music show.
Approximately 500,000-600,000 Chicagoans celebrated this year's event, with many getting to the parade route earlier in the day to BBQ and hang out with the crowds. We hear it was a huge hit, partly due to a cooler than anticipated July Saturday and this year's theme: "Chicago's Finest Moments" - sure to rile up the locals.
[Photo: Second City Warehouse]
Related Stories:
· Venetian Night 2007: Chicago's Finest Moments [WBBM 780 Chicago]
· Venetian Night Photos [Flickr]
· Chicago Hotels [HotelChatter]
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by sedona
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