Happy (almost) 4th of July! We love this holiday because it’s a perfect day to spend time with family and friends, eat more hamburgers and potato salad than you should, and celebrate our freedom in this beautiful country.
Everyone has their own Independence Day traditions, but in South Walton, we take our freedom celebrations to the next level. It doesn’t matter if you’re a local, visiting for a wedding photo shoot, or taking a much needed beach vacation…we want to show you how to celebrate the 4th of July 30A style.
From morning to night, each of the beaches along 30A hosts unique events to fill your day with family, friends, and fun. We’ve pulled together a list of our favorites – from parades and carnivals to live music and firework extravaganzas – to help you prepare for the best 4th of July of your life. Excited? Good!
PARADE
Start your day with one of the many 30A patriotic parades. Whether you’re sitting on the sidelines or stealing the show with your decorated car or bike (or kids!), this is an event you don’t want to miss. In Grayton Beach, take a cruise in your freedom vehicle, and enjoy a summer snack at the end of the parade (8:00am). If you’re in the creative mood, grab your red, white, and blue ribbons and join in the bike decorating contest before the parade in Rosemary Beach (7:30am). Or, grab a front row seat at the annual parade from Seagrove to downtown Seaside (8:00am).
CARNIVAL
Old-fashioned carnivals with lawn games and fun prizes are never, well, old-fashioned. After the parade in Rosemary Beach, keep up the celebrations by participating in the carnival from 9:00am – 11:00am. From falling over in sack races to getting soaked in the water balloon toss to winning game prizes for your special someone, you’ll treasure these 4th of July memories.
LIVE MUSIC
There’s nothing like live music to get you pumped, and our 30A beach communities know it. Take your pick of awesome concerts to get you ready for the fireworks show finales. Choose between the “Like Totally” Hep Cats at the Rosemary Beach Western Green (6:00pm), the Bucktown Allstars at the Alys Beach Amphitheater (6:00pm), or the Victory Belles at the Seaside Amphitheater (7:00pm).
FIREWORKS
Of course, let’s not forget the most traditional of celebrations…fireworks. If you’ve never experienced a beach fireworks show, you are in for a real treat. Nothing beats relaxing in the sand, feeling the cool air, and watching fireworks explode in a starlit sky and reflect in the calm waters. And on 30A, we don’t just have one show…but three – Seaside (8:30pm), Rosemary Beach (8:45pm), and Alys Beach (9:00pm). They’re all at different times, so you can watch them all from your favorite spot on the beach…any beach!
What do you say, are you ready to celebrate Independence Day the 30A way?
We actually spent our last July 4th (2016) in Ryan’s hometown of Ramona, South Dakota! Here’s some from our personal family photo collection from that trip, photographed by Ryan on film cameras. From our family to yours, wishing you a truly blessed Fourth of July!
