Celebrating the Fourth — Lowcountry style

Fireworks, picnics and busy beaches are on tap for the Fourth of July.

So is the possibility of rain.

National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Stroz said Beaufort County has about a 30 percent chance of showers on Monday, but the storm will probably roll through in the afternoon and move out by the time fireworks begin.

Organizers of the county’s Fourth of July celebrations said the festivities will go on as planned, barring any downpours.

Catch a fireworks display

There will be plenty of local displays to enjoy:

Harbour Town in Sea Pines: Watch the sky light up over the Calibogue Sound at 9:15 p.m. Crowds will gather at the Harbour Town Lighthouse. A free shuttle service is available from various parking lots inside Sea Pines. The show caps off a day of festivities that includes the annual Harbour Town Fourth of July parade. Decorate a bicycle or wagon at 8:30 a.m. and meet at the parking lot near the Harbour Town Lighthouse for registration. Parade lineup begins at 9:30 a.m. Entries are judged on patriotism. Supplies are available to the first 100 registered families. Following the parade, there will be carnival games, activities and more. Gregg Russell takes the Liberty Oak stage from 8-9 p.m. to kick off the fireworks.

Parris Island: The Independence Day celebration features a performance by the Parris Island Marine Band at 6:30 p.m., followed by fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m. Visitors will not be allowed aboard the depot before 3 p.m.

Port Royal: The town of Port Royal and the Historic Post Royal Foundation hosts a holiday celebration beginning at 5 p.m. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be available, along with face painting, jump castles and more. No coolers. This leads up to the fireworks show, which follows Parris Island’s, around 9:30 p.m. at The Sands beach.

Shelter Cove Towne Centre: A day of events leads up to the 9:30 p.m. fireworks show at Shelter Cove Community Park, 39 Shelter Cove Lane on Hilton Head. Packet pick-up for the Hilton Head Firecracker 5K Run and Walk begins at 6:30 a.m. The 3.1 mile course, which starts and finishes at the park, will begin at 8 a.m. The post-race celebration features a children’s fun run, live music, prizes, food and drink. Free parking available. A Super Summer Jams, sponsored by Hilton Head Island Rec Center, starts at 5 p.m. The free event includes entertainment from Matt MacKelcan and Groove Town Assault.

Skull Creek: The Skull Creek Boathouse and Hudson’s Seafood House celebration includes live outdoor music by Charleston’s Southern country rock band, Bootless. Music begins at 7 p.m. at the Sunset Landing beer garden, followed by fireworks beginning at 9:30 p.m. No outside food, drinks or coolers.

Help pets feel safe

Not everyone enjoys the crackle of fireworks. Tallulah Trice, director of the Beaufort County Animal Shelter, offers these tips for pet owners:

▪ The shelter’s highest intake of stray animals occurs during Fourth of July firework activity. Make sure your pet is properly identified in case it runs away.

▪ Even if your pet is an outdoor animal, bring it inside. Borrow a crate from the shelter if needed. Most fireworks shows in the county start at 9 or 9:30. Take your dog for a bathroom break before it begins.

▪ Identify your animal’s safe place in the house and set it up there that night. For Trice’s dog, it’s the bathtub. Turn on a radio or TV to drown out as much noise as possible.

▪ If your pet has had issues during prior fireworks shows, consider contacting your vet for medication to help ease nerves. Trice recommends giving ThunderShirts a try. This product applies gentle pressure to an animal’s body, similar to a blanket swaddling an infant. Shirts, available for cats and dogs, can also be purchased at Petco, PetSmart and All Four Paws for $30 to $50, depending on the size.

▪ If your pet does run away, visit the Beaufort County Animal Services Facebook page and post a picture and detailed description of your animal. Those without a Facebook account can email the information to shelter@bcgov.net. If you find a runaway animal outside, use caution in approaching it because the pet is probably in distress, Trice said. Call non-emergency dispatch or post a picture of the runaway to Facebook.

Enjoy picnics and cook-outs

All are welcome to participate in Bluffton’s Fourth of July parade. Participants will meet at 10 a.m. at the Church of the Cross, 110 Calhoun St., and walk the route down to Lawton Street until 11 a.m. Calhoun Street will be closed for the traffic. Dogs on leashes are welcome.

The Salute from the Shore flyover, a ceremony where beachgoers salute veterans and military planes as they pass overhead, will begin at 1 p.m. in Cherry Grove, just north of Myrtle Beach, and conclude over the May River Sandbar in Bluffton around 1:30 p.m. For exact timing of locations and more information, visit salutefromtheshore.org.

Honey Horn’s holiday picnic runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes bounce houses, a dunk tank and more. Bring chairs; leave pets at home.

Business will be booming

The Fourth of July holiday weekend kicks off the busiest month of the year for Beaufort County’s tourism industry. More than 300,000 visitors spent some time on the island during July 2015, according to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. This figure includes day-trippers and overnight guests.

“July Fourth is traditionally a sold-out weekend for the island,” said Charlie Clark, the chamber’s spokeswoman.

Expect tourists — the majority of whom will arrive by car — to stay around. The average stay is six days, so it’s more of a holiday week, Clark said.

Bill Haley, vice president of marketing for Resort Rentals of Hilton Head Island, estimated last week that 98 percent of the company’s 450 rental properties were booked for the entire week following the holiday. Large homes tended to sell out faster than the villas.

Hilton Head beachfront resorts such as the Sonesta and the Omni were about 90 percent booked last week, representatives said.

Nationwide, AAA expects 43 million Americans to hit the road for the holiday and predicts 2016 to be a record-breaking year for travel.

This story was originally published July 1, 2016 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Celebrating the Fourth — Lowcountry style."