Guilford County Parks is known for putting on an excellent Fourth of July celebration each year at Northeast Park, and that’s expected to be no different this year except for one thing: The celebration will be on Monday, July 3. You can think of it as a July 4th Eve celebration.
Christmas gets an eve each year so why shouldn’t the Fourth.
This year, the Parks Department is touting the event as “the county’s biggest fireworks show” – and adding that it will be “spectacular” – at what will be Guilford County’s 16th annual Fireworks Extravaganza.
Northeast Park, at 3441 Northeast Park Dr. in Gibsonville, is where you should head July 3 after piling family and friends into the car. The more people you pack into the vehicle the cheaper because admission to the park will be $10 per car that day.
Keep in mind that only cash will be accepted – no charge cards, Apple Pay or bitcoins – and the county is strongly encouraging everyone to pay with exact change.
And get there early. The festivities will kick off at 4 p.m. with carnival rides, mini golf, music and food trucks.
Following that, at 6 p.m., The Embers will take to the stage to provide a classic Carolina beach music experience.
The fireworks display will begin at 9:30 p.m.
Walk-ups are welcome to attend as well. If you show up on foot the charge will be $1 per person.
“Due to the expected large crowds, the public is strongly encouraged to carpool and arrive early,” county officials warn. Also, the entrance gates will close when the park reaches capacity.
Ride tickets at the event will be $2 each or you can buy 14 tickets for $20; rides take 1 to 2 tickets each.
Sadly, there still will be no kiddie train ride at the park because the county abandoned that project several years ago after spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $750,000 trying to get one running.
Despite the lack of a kiddie train, the celebration will have plenty of offerings to entertain the kids and adults.
“This event has long been a source of joy and celebration for our community,” Northeast Park Supervisor Tim Brown said. “Our team continues to expand and look for ways to bring something new and memorable to the event. This year we’re introducing a text alert system to keep visitors updated on emergencies and weather-related information affecting the event.”
Anyone planning on attending the event can text ‘NEPARK’ to 888-777 to get real-time public safety notifications.
For more information about the Fireworks Extravaganza, you can visit www.guilfordparks.com and you can also follow Guilford County Parks on Facebook.
