Lighting Up the Night (and Day) in PBC

One thing’s for sure, Palm Beach County is not making it easy to finalize our 4th of July weekend plans; there’s just SO much going on there for Independence Day!

Found a listing on the PBC website for the “4th on Flagler” in West Palm, “the region’s biggest 4th of July celebration,” with what looks like lots of fun things to do: live entertainment, a kids’ area, the firefighters’ Splash and Dash, tons of terrific food, and, of course, a magnificent fireworks display.

My husband mentions fireworks at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter the nights of July 3 and 4. I’m sure the kids would enjoy seeing some minor league baseball, but I know he’s also eyeing the very fine Florida Resident Getaway deal at the nearby Homewood Suites by Hilton Palm Beach Gardens. We could even get gasoline for the trip! Of course, for special offers on lodging, like so many other things in PBC, there are a slew of first-rate choices.

Then there’s the Fabulous 4th Celebration in Boca Raton, with family activities, a stage show, and a Florida Wind Symphony concert before the fireworks (and maybe a quick round of world class golf the next morning?) Or we could head to beautiful Lake Worth’s Tropic Fest/ July 4th Celebration for more food, music, and kids’ games before the sky lights up to their fireworks spectacle. And my eldest is lobbying for the Fireworks Cruise out of Riviera Beach, a three-hour excursion promising “an unparalleled view of the 4th on Flagler fireworks.”

But I’m leaning toward the all-day July 4 party at Delray Beach. We can watch the sand sculpting competition in the morning and see the Patriotic Bike and Scooter Parade in the afternoon. Plus, there’ll be free concerts and other entertainment, a 100-foot inflatable obstacle course, and more food and drink than even my ravenous brood can devour. Oh, and the evening ends with another fantastic fireworks extravaganza, courtesy of the legendary Grucci family.

As long as we’re gazing at the sky shouting oooh and ahhh, we’ll have a wonderful time no matter where we end up. And since they offer so many 4th of July celebrations, we’ll just have to keep up our Independence Day / Palm Beach County tradition for years to come!