Here are 11 July 4th events in Beaufort and some are happening very soon. What to know
Looking to celebrate the Fourth of July this year? There are plenty of local celebrations for your friends and family to attend.
Also known as Independence Day, the July 4 holiday memorializes the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4 in 1776 that gave America independence from Great Britain.
Now, less than two weeks away, the Fourth of July is just around the corner.
Whether you prefer to celebrate the national, annual holiday at home, at a barbecue cookout, watching the fireworks, or running a local 5K, Beaufort County has plenty of options to celebrate our nation’s holiday.
Here are 11 Independence Day events to attend in Beaufort County this year in the coming weeks.
4th off Main
Hardeeville’s annual 4th off Main event is set to take place on June 24th from 6-9 p.m. behind Hardeeville City Hall, which can be found at 205 Main Street. This free to attend event is open to the public for friends and families to gather to celebrate the summer holiday. The event will host a number of activities and treats including food trucks, face painting, inflatables, fireworks and live entertainment featuring The Reunion band.
Town of Bluffton annual Independence Day Celebration
The Town of Bluffton’s second annual Independence Day Celebration is set to take place on July 1. Festivities for the event will begin at 5 p.m. in Martin Family and DuBois Parks, located at 68 Boundary Street in Bluffton, where attendees can experience live music, bounce houses, food, carnival games, patriotic prizes and fireworks. Friends and family will have the opportunity to spend the evening celebrating, catching up and viewing the holiday fireworks display, which is set to begin around 9 p.m. and will be launched from a barge in the May River. The July 1 fireworks will be visible from the Wright Family Park and Oyster Factory Park or by boat.
Salute From The Shore
Those in Beaufort County for this year’s Independence Day will have the opportunity to view the 14th annual Salute From The Shore if they make sure to watch the skies. If you miss it, you’ll at least hear it. This year’s Salute From The Shore will take place on July 4 and will begin at the North Carolina/South Carolina border at 1 p.m. and will make its way down the coastline. This fast-flying airshow will be viewable all along the South Carolina coast. For the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton area, the F-16s will be visible at approximately 1:31 p.m., and the C-17 will be visible at 1:48 p.m. Beaufort residents will be able to spot the F-16s from their vantage point at 1:35 p.m., and the C-17 will be visible at 1:54 p.m.
HarbourFest’s 4th of July Fireworks
HarbourFest’s Fourth of July event and fireworks will be held on Hilton Head Island in Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina on July 4 and will host a variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy. Shannon Tanner will be throwing a special patriotic family show at 6:30 and 8 p.m. and children’s activities with Cappy the Clown willtake place from 6-9 p.m. for attendees that includes face painting, balloon animals, glitter tattoos and a variety of interactive games and activities. Bounce houses and train rides around the marina will be available for kids at an additional cost starting at 6 p.m.
Fireworks over the marina will begin when the sky gets dark as long as the weather permits. This usually occurs around 9 p.m. For a safe and smooth entry and exit from the event, Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina will be offering a free shuttle service from the parking lot of the Hargray building near Fresh Market for celebration attendees to be shuttled to the HarbourFest events running from 5:30-10:30 p.m. continuously. Parking in this lot is free. The celebration itself is free and open to the public with food and drinks available for purchase.
Harbour Town Fourth of July Parade
Harbour Town’s Fourth of July Parade is set to take place this year on July 4 beginning at 8:30 p.m. Attendees and parade participants are asked to show off their patriotic spirit by decorating their bicycle, wagon, dog or even dressing their kids in red, white and blue attire for this family-friendly parade around Harbour Town, which is located within the Sea Pines community at the south end of Hilton Head Island. Participants should meet in the parking lot adjacent to the Quarterdeck at 8:30 a.m. to register and to pick-up any necessary decorating supplies, which will be limited to the first 100 participants registered. Parade lineup will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be judged on their patriotism throughout the parade. After the parade, carnival games, inflatables and more will be available around the area for your enjoyment.
Remember, for all Sea Pines-related activities, there is a $9 gate fee to enter the resort community unless you are a resident or a guest staying within Sea Pines.
Harbour Town Fourth of July Fireworks
Harbour Town’s Fourth of July fireworks will begin this year at 9 p.m. in Harbour Town, which is located within the Sea Pines Community on Hilton Head Island at 149 Lighthouse Road. This year’s display will light up the sky over the Harbour Town Lighthouse, Calibogue Sound and the surrounding area as attendees will have the chance to spend time with family and friends, enjoy food, and listen to live music.
Hilton Head Firecracker 5k
The 37th annual Firecracker 5K will start at 8 a.m. on July 4 at Jarvis Creek Park, located at 100 Jarvis Park Road on Hilton Head Island. This commemorative 5k is the largest and oldest road race in Beaufort County and even consists of a post-race party following the race. Registered participants will get to experience a scenic tour of Hilton Head Island, and, at the finish line, guests will be greeted with pizza, two complimentary beers or hard seltzers (for adults aged 21 and over) served out of a vintage 1964 Chevrolet C10 tap truck, post-race refreshments, a live DK, snow cones and more.
Packet pick-up will take place from 2-6 p.m. on July 3 at Palmetto Running Company in Shelter Cove Towne Centre, which is located at 28 Shelter Cove Lane, Unit 117 on the island. A second packet pickup will take place from 6:15-7:45 a.m. on race morning at Jarvis Creek Park.
To register, go online and visit https://venturesendurance.enmotive.com/events/register/2023-hilton-head-firecracker-5k.
Frosty Frog’s Fourth of July Celebration
Looking for something different? Hop on by Frosty Frog Cafe at 11 a.m. on July 4 for an annual men’s and women’s hot dog eating contest, kid’s frozen T-shirt contest, live music, prizes and food to spend lunchtime with your friends and family at the south end of Hilton Head Island. To sign up, call the Frosty Frog Cafe at 843-686-3764 to sign up.
Frosty Frog Cafe can be found in Coligny Plaza at 1 N Forest Beach Drive #18.
USA 5K - Hilton Head Island
This year’s USA 5k will take place on July 4 to commemorate Independence Day on the beach.
Taking place on Coligny Beach, this 5k begins with late packet pickup at 7 a.m., the start of race at 8 a.m., and race-end at 9 a.m. The awards commencement will follow shortly after at 9:10 a.m.
Early packet pick-up will occur from 1-4 p.m. at Hilton Head Running Company on July 3 and registration and packet pick-up closes at 4 p.m. the same day. The USA 5K is open to all runners and walkers of any skill set. Strollers are allowed. The race takes place on hard, flat sand on the beach at low tide.
Registration on the day of is not available, so registration is required in advance. Each registration includes a custom race T-shirt, custom finisher race medals and custom award medals.
Produced by Hilton Head Running Company, this race is set up to benefit Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island.
To register, go online and visit https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/HiltonHeadIsland/USA5KHILTONHEADISLAND.
5K Firecracker Run in downtown Beaufort
The second annual 5k Firecracker Run in downtown Beaufort will begin at 8 a.m. on July 4 on Bay and Newcastle Streets. Participants will run, or walk, through historic downtown Beaufort and across the Woods Bridge on this certified 5k course.
Packet pickup will be available at Grounded Running, which is located at 2139 Boundary Street, Ste 108, on July 1 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Same day entries for the race will be accepted on race day between 7-7:40 a.m.
This event is pet and stroller friendly however “flexi-type leashes will not be allowed at the event,” according to the race’s sign up page. Pets are requested to be on a standard 4-6-foot lead.
To register, go online and visit https://www.skisignup.com/Race/SC/Beaufort/5KFirecrackerRun.
Port Royal’s 4th of July Celebration at The Sands
The Town of Port Royal will host a Fourth of July celebration, complete with fireworks this year. Taking place at Sands Beach in Port Royal, the celebratory festivities at The Sands begin at noon. Live entertainment will entertain guests on two different stages and beginning at noon, and the boy scouts will be serving hot dogs and burgers as well as snack shack, tropical treasures and one beer wagon will be serving food and beverages. At 4 p.m., food trucks from Fly Pies, Time to Eat, Shellring, Lawyers BBQ and Molly’s Fish and Chips will begin serving.
The Sands beach road will be shut down to traffic, but golf carts will be allowed to be driven down to the sands beach. However, if you opt to travel by golf cart, they will either have to be removed from the premises by 8 p.m. or wait till all pedestrians have left before driving back, according to the Town of Port Royal.
This story was originally published June 22, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
