Why we love celebrating the 4th of July in Southport, NC
The NC Fourth of July Festival is able to trace its origins back to 1795, making it the oldest Fourth of July celebration in the entire country. Originally known as the “Festival of Free Men” a ship at harbor would sporadically blast canon salutes from sun up through sun down on the 4th of July. The first parades officially arrived in the 1950s, when the celebration took on the name of the “Live Oak Festival” before evolving into the NC 4th of July Festival in 1972.
The festival has featured events such as naturalization ceremonies, Veterans Recognition, Flag retirements, local artist exhibits, and more recently professional wrestling, car & truck shows, and expanded children’s entertainment. The celebration expanded post-covid to include featured events in the neighboring town of Oak Island and allow visitors the opportunity to enhance their 4th of July celebration experience across additional parts of coastal Brunswick County.
Food is also a big focus of the festival as there are numerous vendors from across the region that set up shop for the week. You can expect to find offerings similar to what you would at the State Fair in Raleigh. This is the one area where I wish there was more emphasis on local food offerings, such as regional food trucks or other vendors that could highlight more local flavor. While there certainly are many options to choose for meals during the festival from the vendors, it does lack in variety.
That is not to say that Southport itself lacks in food variety. In fact, one of our favorite reasons to visit this coastal town just south of Wilmington is for the food! A favorite for our family is the Southport Hot Dog Company, formerly known as the Trolly Stop in Southport. There are also staples such as Fishy Fishy Cafe, Provision Company, Mr. P’s Bistro, Blue Cow Grille, Moore Street Oyster Bar, Southport Coffee Company, and Flavas Ice Cream, all within walking distance of the waterfront. Many of these restaurants will close on July 4th, with some choosing to close on the 3rd or 5th as well, in order to give their staff a much needed break. We’ll have a full foodie review on Southport out a little later in July!
Events for the 2024 version of the NC 4th of July Festival will begin on Friday, June 28th with a welcoming ceremony to be held on the Fort Johnston Lawn by the Southport waterfront. This ceremony will be capped off by a military flyover that is sure to wow everyone in attendance. June 29th is highlighted by several events including a 5K Freedom Run beginning at 8AM on Saturday morning. Continuing on a longstanding tradition is the 39th annual Firefighter Competition that will get underway around 3PM on the 29th.
Pro Wrestling takes the main stage in Oak Island on Sunday, June 30th! This event, while we’ve never attended in person, always has a huge draw and is the talk of the festival on social media until the parade gets underway. This also marks a shift in event location for the early part of the week from Southport to Oak Island, as we see the sandcastle contest and golf cart decorating contest held on July 1st in Oak Island.
One of the top events every year is the Freedom Flotilla, organized by the Cape Fear Yacht Club on July 2nd. This features locals and visitors slowly drifting down the Cape Fear River to show off their patriotic themed boats. Spectators on shore can grab a great seat at one of the waterfront restaurants or line up at one of the Southport waterfront parks to watch as they float by.
July 2nd also brings about the first live band performances on the Southport Waterfront main stage. Concerts are held nightly through July 4th and features acts such as LunaSea (July 2nd), SaltyDawgs (July 3rd until 6:30PM), The Embers (July 3rd), The Doorsmen (July 4th until 6PM), and Liquid Pleasure (July 4th).
The parade itself kicks off the morning of July 4th at 11Am sharp. And let me tell you, people are lining up on the street as early at 7:30 that morning to make sure they have a good view! The route is not overly long or complicated. Patrons watch as a wonderful line of floats and buses and vans and golf carts navigate their way from the waterfront through town. There are local businesses and charitable organizations, alongside beauty contest winners and small town administrators that beam and wave to the patriotic crowd.
The rest of the day on July 4th features an open-air art exhibit and local craft vendors. This is a great opportunity for the kids to walk around and explore a little bit, although it can be quite crowded immediately following the parade. There is also ample time for the younger kids and older adults to get some rest or time inside an air conditioned room. You’ll need to make sure you’re well rested by the time Liquid Pleasure hits the state around 6:30PM. If you thought getting a seat for the parade was a competition, then trying to snag prime real estate for the fireworks show is even more of a battle. One thing that can make this challenging is the tide tables. Last year we had an awesome spot down by Fishy Fish Cafe. However, the rising tide coupled with a king tide meant that we would be forced to move our fireworks viewing mobile (a.k.a. the Machikas family golf cart) a couple of times. We stayed as long as we could until the tide reached our tires and made the short drive back to the Machikas home to watch the remainder of the show from the front porch.
One thing that remains top of mind during the entirety of the NC 4th of July Festival is safety. Many of the shops, vendors, restaurants, and events that are held in Southport are walkable. In fact, they provide a free trolley to encourage visitors to park outside of the waterfront area and shuttle in then walk while in town. Local police patrol almost every corner to ensure pedestrians remain safe while crossing streets or navigating their way through the vendor areas. There are also many vendors handing out bottled water during the hottest parts of the day. In 2023 we were fortunate enough to bring our own water and snag some ice cream before the parade, but it certainly was hot sitting outside.
If you’ve never made the trip down to Southport, you truly are missing out on one of North Carolina’s coastal gems. If you love fireworks and America, then the NC 4th of July Festival is a must-do for your family! The fact that the events are setup and planned with families in mind makes it that much easier of a decision every summer to put this on our calendar. We hope to see you and your family down in Southport for the 4th of July!
Another successful NC 4th of July Festival
