Fourth of July festivities in Washington will start with a bang Friday night and end with the bang of fireworks on Monday night.

At 6 p.m., the U.S. 440^th Army Band will perform in Festival Park tonight, while Washington Harbor District Alliance, with help from sponsors in the City of Washington and Lee Chevrolet, will line the waterfront with entertainment, vendors, contests, magic shows and more for Washington’s annual Independence Day celebration on Monday.

“There are many events taking place all the way from Festival Park down to the Farmers Market area, so the whole length of the waterfront will be used,” said Carol Burtt, WHDA’s assistant administrator and event coordinator.

Starting at 10 a.m. with a cornhole tournament in the parking lot of the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce and ending with fireworks on the waterfront at 9 p.m., Burtt said this year’s event will be activity- and action-packed.

“I can tell you, there’s a lot going on. It’s all day on the waterfront, you can stroll around, take it all in, find the music you want to listen to,” Burtt said. “It’s going to be hard to decide where to be.”

Music will play a prominent part: from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Vine Connection, Washington’s gospel music station, will host a mini-gospel festival on the deck of the North Carolina Estuarium, featuring nationally known acts The Greenes and Nu Beginning featuring Damon Little. Next door at Festival Park, starting at 3:30 p.m., Music in the Streets favorites The Southerner’s Band will play, followed by rock/country band Jupiter Jones. On Stewart Parkway, a DJ will be hosting a children’s sock hop and dance contests, followed by guitarish/vocalist David Cox, and performances by Marye Amanda and Chris Nash and the Nash County Line.

It will be the most extensive Fourth of July celebration Washington’s hosted in decades, but according to Burtt, it’s the addition of local food vendors, artists and crafters, and activities such as the children’s bike decorating contest and parade, while incorporating events already happening on the waterfront — the Farmers Market and Beaufort County Traditional Music Association’s Saturday jam — that will put a unique stamp on the all-day affair.

“It’s going to be a really nice, local, down-home event,” Burtt said.

The event is free and will happen regardless of weather, Burtt said. Those interested in volunteering can call 252-947-1487.

 

Schedule of Events

Festival Park

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Vine Connection Gospel Fest

3:30-5:30 p.m. The Southerner’s Band

6-9 p.m. Jupiter Jones

 

Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce

10 a.m. Cornhole tournament

 

Stewart Parkway

11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Food, arts and crafts vendors

 

Stewart Parkway Centerstage

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. DJ Greg hosts childen’s sock hop and dance contests

1-3 p.m. Musician David Cox

3-5 p.m. Performance by Marye Amanda and Chris Nash and the Nash County Line

 

Stewart Parkway (west end)

8 a.m. to noon Farmers Market

8 a.m. to noon Beaufort County Traditional Music Association jam

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Flea market

Noon to 5 p.m. Kids’ Arcade (relay races, pie-eating contest and more)

1 p.m. Zodiac Motocycle Club parade and kids’ bike parade

1-3 p.m. Storytelling

2-3 p.m. Magic show

 

Waterfront

9 p.m. Fireworks show sponsored by Lee Chevrolet