In just a few weeks, the streets of Beaufort County will be painted red, white and blue and it all starts with the 440^th Army Band.

On July 1, the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce will host a free concert by the 440^th Army Band at 6 p.m. in Festival Park in downtown Washington.

Newcomers to Festival Park, the band is made up of 34 members and will perform a variety of music styles. The band will end the night with a patriotic tribute to all branches of service, according to Catherine Glover, executive director of the Chamber.

“It’s a great way to get people out on a Friday night to celebrate independence,” Glover said.

The concert will kick off Independence Day weekend by giving the community a chance to come together, enjoy great music and celebrate our military, she said.

Community closeness is the key here, and both Glover and Washington City Manager Bobby Roberson are optimistic this event will bring people from a variety of places to the waterfront for a night of fun, family friendly Independence Day celebrations.

“It’s about being together and the closeness of the community compared to the negative things we see going around in the United States,” Roberson said.

The Chamber works hard to promote community involvement, and events like these help to increase the engagement of everyone in Beaufort County, Glover said.

Roberson is hopeful that this event will not only bring Beaufort County together, but also create an opportunity to welcome those who don’t necessarily frequent the waterfront.

“Anything we can do to promote development and tourism…it’s always a plus for us,” Roberson said.

This event encourages the support of local, independent businesses as it marks the start of the “Buy, Be, Eat Local” campaign. Glover says both the concert and the campaign will attempt to inspire the community to celebrate independence by shopping at independent businesses in Beaufort County.  The campaign will feature local businesses from July 2–9.

To Roberson, increased local revenue is only an added perk of the concert and the campaign. The best part for him is just being together.

“It’s the positive atmosphere and sharing great feelings with one another from different parts of the county.” Roberson said. “Plus, we got a great sunset. No doubt about that.”

The concert is the first of many Independence Day weekend festivities with all-day music at Festival Park and Stewart Parkway, cornhole tournaments, a farmers market and fireworks to end the night.