RED, WHITE, BLUE AND BOOM
City of West Palm Beach announces plans for annual 4th on Flagler
Nearly 100,000 guests of all ages are expected to show up at the City of West Palm Beach’s 31st annual 4th on Flagler celebration – many dressed in red, white and blue – and all looking forward to the time when the fireworks go ‘boom.’ The Independence Day celebration is one of the largest free events in South Florida. The event takes place along Flagler Drive from Banyan Boulevard south to Fern Street from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, July 4, and includes free live music, plenty of food and drink options – including a craft beer garden, larger-than-life games, children’s activities, the annual Military Honor Ceremony and an 18-minute fireworks show igniting over the Intracoastal Waterway. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m.
“Our 4th on Flagler celebration is the City of West Palm Beach’s most iconic event,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. “People gather from neighborhoods near and far to celebrate America’s Independence right here on our City streets. It is an honor to host so many of our friends and neighbors. As in years past, we hope everyone will plan to join us for the festivities, which are dynamic and family-friendly. Plus, could you ask for a better backdrop for the 18-minute fireworks show?”
4th on Flagler programming and activities span west to the Great Lawn, Lake Pavilion, Meyer Amphitheatre and Post Park. 4th on Flagler features two stages of back-to-back music. Local sensation Nikki Lickstein will open for popular country rock artist Tim Charron on the Palm Stage from 5 – 7:10 p.m.; Charron will play from 7:30 – 10 p.m. with a break at 9 p.m. for the fireworks show. At the Meyer Amphitheatre, the Chris Thomas Band, an 18-piece ensemble who specialize in the performance of vintage Sinatra and soulful Motown, as well as current popular songs custom arranged for a big band, by its own band members, will wow the crowd from 5 – 8:30 p.m. The Military Honor Ceremony, which features a tribute to all branches of the military, the unfurling of a five-story American flag, and– for the seventh consecutive year– the Hometown Hero award, begins at the Meyer Amphitheatre at 8:30 p.m. Post Park will include tons of kid-friendly activities and entertainment. Additionally, families can play large and small games throughout the festivities for an all-inclusive fee of $10 per person and JetRide will bring back the over-the-top water stunts for two shows.
“Our Summer in Paradise theme this year is iconic – and there is nothing more iconic than our 4th on Flagler celebration, which has been happening for more than three decades,” said Mary Pinak, Community Events Manager for the City of West Palm Beach Department of Parks and Recreation, who has organized nearly every 4th on Flagler since its inception. “We hope everyone will continue to celebrate with us this year as we continue to make the Clematis Streetscape construction fun through a variety of ‘iCONE-ic’ activations. Those elements will certainly pop up in fun and surprising ways during the 4th on Flagler.”
Attendees can also look forward to activities related to the City’s annual Summer in Paradise (SIP) campaign. This year’s SIP theme is “occasionally iCONE-ic, always iconic,” which is a playful nod to the Clematis Streetscape project that is taking place on the 100 and 200 blocks this summer. According to City leaders, the City of West Palm Beach is occasionally iCONE-ic when dotted with construction or traffic cones but always iconic especially along its award-winning Clematis Street corridor. While the iconic orange traffic cone will signal construction road work underway, it will also be a key image in the City’s branding and Summer in Paradise activations. Each activation plays on the word “cone,” and activities include: Cone-y Island, a summer-long maze created out of construction materials; Cone Checkers with cones as the checker pieces; Kid’s Cone Zone, an opportunity for kids to touch and explore City of West Palm Beach trucks and construction vehicles; SnowCONE Saturdays, a free weekly giveaway for anyone visiting downtown; Orange Out Fridays, where people on the 100 and 200 blocks will be rewarded for getting out of their “comfort cone” and wearing traffic-cone orange – the crazier, the better, and much more. Summer in Paradise runs through Thursday, August 1.
4th on Flagler is produced by the City of West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation Department, Community Events Division. Parking will be available for a fee in the City’s garages, including Banyan, on the corner of Banyan Boulevard and Olive Avenue; City Center, on the corner of Banyan Boulevard and Dixie Highway; Evernia, on the corner of Evernia Street and Olive Avenue; Sapodilla, on the corner of Clematis Street and Sapodilla Avenue; and Clematis, on the corner of Banyan Boulevard and Clematis Street. 4th on Flagler attendees are also encouraged to arrive the free, fun and Earth friendly way – on the City’s trolley, which has multiple stops near the event.
For more information about 4th on Flagler and other waterfront events, visit wpb.org/events, call 561-822-1515 or follow the City of West Palm Beach on Facebook @CityofWPB and on Twitter and Instagram @westpalmbch.
About the City of West Palm Beach’s Summer in Paradise:
“Summer in Paradise” is produced by the City of West Palm Beach Department of Parks and Recreation. Collaborators include West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority, Arts & Entertainment District, Visit Palm Beach, SkyBike, Northwood Village, Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, Historic Northwest Neighborhood, Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, Rosemary Square, United Way of Palm Beach County and Palm Beach Outlets. The goal is to showcase West Palm Beach as an international destination full of events, activities, art, entertainment, shopping, dining and overall fun. “Summer in Paradise” collectively includes two months of events and happenings in the Northwest Neighborhood, Northwood Village and Downtown West Palm Beach from June 6 – August 1.