This weekend, people across the United States will be celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with fireworks displays, picnics, and parades. Some communities celebrate in other ways that you may not be familiar with.
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina: Parade of Boats
Many communities have a Fourth of July parade. Murrells Inlet has one as well, but it is held in the local creek as boats line up to be decorated, spectated, and appreciated. This year’s annual boat parade will begin at 5PM, which is high tide. The annual event has been held since 1984. In recent years there have been as many as 125 registered parade entries, with more boats joining in at the last minute.
Mescalero, New Mexico: Puberty Rites
At the Mescalero Apache reservation in New Mexico, Independence Day celebrations include a coming-of-age ceremony for teenage girls.
On the first and the last days of the public portion of the ceremony, each girl runs four times around a basket filled with sacred items of the creation, symbolizing the four stages of life set by the White Painted Woman. Each night, the girls, godmothers and singers enter the Holy Lodge, or Ceremonial Teepee, where the girls dance and singers beat the rhythm with deer-hoof rattles.
The ceremonies are open to the public. The reservation also hosts an annual rodeo on July fourth. See more pictures of the ceremony.
New England: Salmon
The tradition of eating salmon on the Fourth of July goes back to the beginnings of the holiday in New England. The date coincides with salmon running thick in the rivers during midsummer in Maine and other New England states. In recent years, Atlantic salmon are declining, but New Englanders stay with the traditional meal; they just tend to eat Alaskan or Pacific salmon these days. What started as the tradition of “eating locally” is now just “tradition”. If you’d like to try a little bit of New England in your holiday, here’s a recipe.
San Francisco: The Mimes Return
Every year, the San Francisco Mime Troupe opens their performing season on July 4th with a free show. This year’s production is called “Too Big To Fail” and will debut at Dolores Park at 2PM. The experimental theater group was founded in 1959, and has performed in San Francisco city parks since winning an obscenity case in 1963. The San Francisco Mime Troupe does not perform silently or paint their faces white, but their productions are movement-based. See a a sample of their work in this video from their 2008 production “Red State”.
Coney Island: Hot Dogs
It can be said that hot dogs are a traditional food across the nation on the Fourth of July, but in Coney Island, the Fourth of July means Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Last year, reigning champion Joey Chestnut of San Jose, California bested six-time winner Takeru Kobayashi of Nagano, Japan in a sudden-death round after each had ingested 59 hotdogs in the regulation ten-minute period. Both men will compete this Saturday for the 94th annual contest in Coney Island.
New Orleans: Essence Music Festival
More than a quarter-million people attended the annual Essence Music Festival in New Orleans last year. The event has been held annually since 1995, sponsored by Essence magazine. The music lineup for this year includes Beyonce, Lionel Richie, Al Green, Salt N Pepa, Anita Baker, Solange, En Vogue, and quite a few other stars scheduled for this weekend. The festival also offers a series of free seminars during the daytime before the music starts, featuring speakers on a variety of subjects.
South Central Kentucky: Computer Trap Shoot
For about a decade now, a group of friends in south central Kentucky have used the Fourth of July as an occasion to have some fun with electronic equipment that is obsolete or beyond repair. They gather these items all year long, then take them deep into the wilderness of central Kentucky each Independence Day. The components are launched into the air and used for target practice, which is both a sporting event and a way to vent frustration over hi-tech workplace annoyances. See another video here. Sadly, this year’s event has been canceled because the host has to work.
How does your community celebrate the Fourth of July?
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Here in Texas our celebrations usually include drunkenness.
posted by Witty Nickname on 7-2-2009 at 9:15 am
In Bristol, Vermont the 4th of July parade starts with Outhouse racing.
posted by Aaron from Vermont on 7-2-2009 at 9:46 am
I don’t know any New Englanders that have EVER heard of eating salmon for Independence Day. I live here in New Hampshire and I’ve never met anyone who does in my 40 years.
It’s ALWAYS burgers and dogs and with EVERY generation.
If salmon is a tradition in New England, then it’s one that not a lot of people know about.
posted by William on 7-2-2009 at 9:53 am
I’m from New Castle, Pennsylvania, location of Zambelli Fireworks, a major pyrotechnics company. They make many of the fireworks that are featured in the Fourth of July shows in DC, NYC, etc. So of course they have no time to make fireworks for our little podunk town! So New Castle’s official fireworks show is usually closer to July 8.
posted by Elsa on 7-2-2009 at 9:57 am
Memphis has a boat parade along the riverfront, and then a nice fireworks show from Mud Island. The fireworks reflect out over the water and almost a million people sit along the riverfront to watch. Oh, yeah, and there’s got to be some BBQ eatin’, too. It’s fun.
posted by Tracie on 7-2-2009 at 10:08 am
Watching fireworks from the levee in New Orleans is awesome! They shoot them from a barge in the river. Nothing unique about the fireworks, but being in New Orleans is always a blast!
posted by Hyacinth on 7-2-2009 at 10:32 am
Tracie, Mud Island at night is a real treat any time of the year! I can imagine seeing fireworks from the river is extra awesome.
posted by Miss Cellania on 7-2-2009 at 10:34 am
I used to live on a barrier island near Savannah, GA, where most fireworks were illegal. However, if you went across the river to South Carolina, you could get them all year long. Every Independence Day, we’d drive over, load up, and come back to shoot. As long as your neighbors didn’t complain, the local authorities didn’t stop anyone. In fact, the sheriffs and fire department would drive around and throw candy to the kids!
reCAPTCHA: guinean 288-0501
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posted by Anthony on 7-2-2009 at 12:57 pm
In La Mirada, CA, our town has the fireworks display on the 3rd of July. It’s great, two days of fireworks.
Santa Monica had a fireworks display at the break of dawn over the ocean years ago. It was beautiful and we went to get Stan’s donuts later.
posted by Catherine on 7-2-2009 at 1:19 pm
In Carson City, Nevada we celebrate the rich fabric of our history each year with reenactments and Chautauqua characters. This year we will have Music by the Treadway Ensemble and food from 5 Buck Pizza, all historically correct of course, and a rededication of Treadway Meadows Park.
posted by JFreddMuggz on 7-2-2009 at 2:19 pm
I actually lost my virginity on July 4th so long ago, I can hardly remember it. Hint: reagan was still in his first term
Since then, I always try to reproduce the actual act on july 4th every year. Have only missed once in all the years since.
posted by ee the c on 7-2-2009 at 2:21 pm
That KY celebration doesn’t sound particularly eco-friendly. Adding lead to the other heavy metals in obsolete electronics and scattering them all over the countryside??
posted by Jonny on 7-2-2009 at 3:49 pm
We have a Demolition Derby every weekend that follow the 4th of July and a firworks display after the Derby.Good thing the 4th is on a Saturday this year.
posted by Kari on 7-2-2009 at 4:01 pm
I was in New Orleans for 4th of July one year. Man ridiculous amounts of food.. Crawfish boil!
But Hyacinth when I went to watch fireworks out their we got banged on by the KKK.. True sad story. Especially for black people from California.
posted by Chrystani on 7-2-2009 at 4:06 pm
A fairly recent Nashville July 4th tradition is the Hot Chicken Festival – we’re talking serious spicy bird!
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 7-2-2009 at 4:25 pm
I agree with William.
I too am from NE (RI to be exact) and we do not eat salmon on the 4th.
In fact it’s mostly lobster, little necks and quahogs and of course favorites like hot dogs, hamburgers and steak.
posted by Kristen on 7-2-2009 at 6:46 pm
I’m with William and Kristen. I’m from VT and have never heard of salmon for the 4th, always hot dogs, hamburgers, or ribs. Has ANYBODY from New England ever heard of the salmon thing? We have New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont represented, how about Maine, Connecticut and Mass?
posted by Jessica on 7-2-2009 at 10:38 pm
I just learned the other day about the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Contest, held in Eau Claire, Michigan on or about July 4th for the past 35 years: http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090701/News01/907010317/1130
posted by GlennInBR on 7-2-2009 at 11:04 pm
Smithville, TN has its annual Fiddlers’ Jamboree on the weekend closest to the fourth every year. Good times!
posted by Dave on 7-2-2010 at 7:01 am
I’m from CT and my husband is from MA and we’ve never had salmon in the 4th. In fact I’ve never even heard of that tradition before. We ususally go with hot dogs and hamburgers
posted by Tini on 7-2-2010 at 8:31 am
I’m from MA, and I’ve never heard of the salmon tradition. I’ll have to ask my mom about it, she likes salmon, so she may know. I’m lobstah and steamahs all the way!! Can’t eat any chowdah anymore though, hurts the stomach! (apologies, I couldn’t resist adding the Boston accent)
posted by Meg on 7-2-2010 at 9:36 am
I’m from MA and went to college in NH, and I’ve never had salmon on the 4th. Lobster is the way to go!
posted by crovenpaver on 7-2-2010 at 12:37 pm
ps – Meg, I love the Bawston accent!
posted by crovenpaver on 7-2-2010 at 12:37 pm
I had heard a news segment on the radio that Kobayashi was threatening to bow out of this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest. It seems there was a dispute over some rules that bar him from competing in other eating contests.
posted by Stew on 7-2-2010 at 1:13 pm
In San Diego you can watch several fireworks shows in SD Bay from the flight deck of the retired aircraft carrier ‘Midway’. It doesn’t get much more patriotic than that.
posted by SteveO on 7-2-2010 at 1:18 pm
It’s not on July 4th but Ocean City, NJ puts on the “Night In Venice” boat parade every year.
http://www.visitnjshore.com/new-jersey-shore-guide/night-in-venice-ocean-city.aspx
posted by Ali on 6-30-2011 at 11:20 am
Here in Malibu, we have barges out on the ocean that launch fireworks. Such a beautiful way to light up the beach!
posted by Alice on 6-30-2011 at 12:55 pm
Another native New Englander that never heard of eating salmon here –
Our Massachusetts traditions were:
Parade
Flea Market
Pool party
Hot dogs/Hamburgers
Firecrackers
posted by Leslie on 6-30-2011 at 12:56 pm
New Edition is reuniting for the Essence Festival this weekend.
posted by Wayne Stevens on 6-30-2011 at 1:06 pm
I’m with those Rhode Islanders over there saying,“Salmon? …Salmon? On the Fourth of July?”
Maybe in Maine. Upper Maine. Dunno. Some place where rivers are cold even in summer? Near Canada?
I could much more easily imagine the Marketing Dept. of the Salmon Producers coming up with the idea:
“Hey, I know, let’s say eating salmon on the Fourth of July is an old New England Tradition!”
“Hmmm…I like it, I mean who’s gonna know the difference?”
In point of fact in the old days most Rhode Islanders would have a family picnic, with the usual picnic fare- chicken or cold meat, salads, etc., or a family clambake. We used to go to my Aunt’s farm outside of town for our family clambake. There would be well over 100 people there. The men would have gone quahogging (littlenecks, too,) and fishing. They would have dug a huge pit and lined it with rocks. The night before, they would make an enormous fire in the pit, let it burn down, then they would put in a layer of wet seaweed, and then layers of potatoes, quahogs and littlenecks, small brown paper bags containing a piece of whitefish and a small sausage, and finally corn in the husk. They would cover it with tarps and let it steam for several hours. We would eat and talk all afternoon, seated at several long rough-hewn tables. Then, at dusk, we would take our coolers and folding chairs and drive back into town to my Great-Uncle’s house, and all the family and neighbors would sit in the side yard to watch a grand fireworks display set up in the back of the property. It was professionally overseen by family members and neighbors who were also policemen and firemen in our town. We children were not allowed to leave the spectator area, nor have sparklers or any sort of fireworks. That was just common sense. It was a wonderful celebration!
posted by Leila on 6-30-2011 at 2:44 pm
Ummh Beer
posted by HOMER on 6-30-2011 at 3:44 pm
I’m in Philadelphia, which as you can imagine is pretty crazy on the 4th! Although I think one of our biggest traditions is “find a place to watch the fireworks where you won’t get mobbed by tourists.” Maybe that’s just me…
posted by EColt on 6-30-2011 at 9:29 pm
Leila, from a Texas native, What’s a quahog?
posted by nini23 on 6-30-2011 at 9:47 pm
Another New Englander here, born in Maine, raised in NH, living in Massachusetts. Family has been here since early 1600s. I have never heard of salmon on the 4th. Hamburgers, hot dogs, barbeque chicken. No salmon.
posted by Mpw on 7-1-2011 at 8:46 am
I can’t believe that Atlanta hasn’t represented! The Peachtree Road Race (an Atlanta tradition since the 1970s) is the Largest 10K Race in the Nation! Over 60,000 people will run it this year. Of course, I’ll be one of the 60,000 sweating all over Atlanta’s streets! Happy 4th!
posted by AFC on 7-1-2011 at 11:56 am
Dear Nini23:
You have probably been to the Wiki site by now, but a quahog (pronounced as if it rhymes with paw-hog) is a clam. They are chewy. If you don’t grow up eating them, of course, they are, “I am so NOT going to eat THAT!” Having said that, eating them raw is something people in NY and NJ do, Not that it’s wrong.
So, good luck getting invited to a traditional holiday meal of salmon in New England. No seriously, Miss Cellania! Doesn’t happen.
Have a great Independence Day, all!
posted by Leila on 7-1-2011 at 6:47 pm