ORMOND BEACH -- The Fourth of July celebration in this city is action packed with concerts and all kinds of family fun leading up to the 9:30 p.m. fireworks.
City officials say there’s no place better to celebrate our nation’s 234 years of freedom than beside the beautiful Halifax River in Ormond Beach. Citizens and visitors can enjoy hours of entertainment and fun-filled attractions with no admission fee.
Entertainment will stretch from City Hall Plaza across the Granada Bridge to Fortunato Park and south across Granada Boulevard into Rockefeller Gardens. Free shuttle service will be available from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. between the southwest corner of Granada Boulevard and South Beach Street and Fortunato Park on the east side of the bridge. Those visiting Fortunato Park can avoid traffic and access Rockefeller Gardens by walking beneath the bridge on a paved surface.
The City Hall Plaza will feature Jazz and Blues music by the Danny Silva G & The Boomers (6:00-7:30 p.m.), and The Sauce Band (7:45-9:15 p.m.). Rockefeller Gardens will feature Rock & Roll and Country music by Stickshift Cadillac (6:00-7:30 p.m.) and Big Engine (7:45-9:15 p.m.).
Vendors will offer foods to satisfy every appetite and there will be more than 30 varied menu items, ranging from the traditional holiday fare of hot dogs, hamburgers and sausages to exotic oriental foods, seafood and an array of barbequed specialties will be available. All of these in addition to refreshing ice cream, lemonade and other drinks that will help keep everyone hydrated as they enjoy the festivities.
Those visiting the Kid’s Patriotic Corner at Fortunato Park will be treated to many special features between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. including Glen Foster’s Comedy Magic and Juggler Randy Cabral. The kids will be able to play on inflatables, climb a rock wall, and visit with Abe Lincoln, Ben Franklin, and Uncle Sam.
At 9:30 p.m., Fireworks by Santore, Inc., will light up Ormond Beach’s sky with breathtaking fireworks above the Halifax River. This is the 13th year the event has been held on the corners of the Granada Bridge and it now attracts visitors from other states.
For 35 years, Santore has provided the anxiously awaited fireworks show in Ormond Beach exciting all the spectators and reminding us of the history we are celebrating on the fourth of July.
Those with handicapped parking permits may park in the lot near Bailey Riverbridge Gardens (where Pilgrim’s Rest Church is located), on the northeast corner of Granada Blvd. and North Beach Street. Public parking includes the lot behind City Hall and The Casements parking lot.
City officials want residents and visitors to know that piers and boat docks will be closed at 7 p.m.
This year, North Beach Street will be closed from Granada to Lincoln Avenue; South Beach Street will be closed from Granada to Division Avenue; and, Grove Street will be closed from Tomoka Avenue to Division Avenue. Other side streets within the event area may be detoured or closed for the event.