City of Wilmington's Fourth of July Celebration

The City of Wilmington's 4th of July Celebration sponsored by Cumulus Media.

Prohibited Items:

• Weapons of any kind
• Alcohol
• Illegal drugs/substances
• Outside food or drinks with the exception of water up to 1 gallon in a factory sealed or empty bottle.
• Glass containers
• Cans
• Coolers
• Laser pointers
• Animals (except service animals)
• Fireworks

Updates will be provided on the City of Wilmington's Parks & Recreation Facebook Page. 

2024 4th of July Fireworks

 July 4, 2024   Time: 9:05 pm

Location: Downtown Wilmington Riverfront

Join us in historic downtown Wilmington for a celebration of our Nation’s Independence with the 2024 City of Wilmington 4th of July Fireworks display to be held Thursday, July 4th, 2024.  

Fireworks will be shot from a barge located at the convergence of the Cape Fear & Northeast Cape Fear Rivers, just north of the USS Battleship North Carolina, and will be viewable anywhere along the downtown riverfront. 

 *Please note the following: There will be a boating safety zone for 30 minutes after the fireworks around the launch site. No thru boating traffic will be allowed.*

• City decks located at 929 N. Front St., 115 Market St., 114 N. 2nd St, 14 Grace St, the Wilmington Convention Center deck at 515 Nutt St., and the County deck at 212 N. 2nd St. will charge a $10.00 event fee (after 4 p.m.)
• On-street metered parking is free.
• The City of Wilmington has marked accessible parking at all of its managed downtown public parking lots and parking decks. Patrons with a valid accessible parking license plate or permit / hang tag may also park for free at any on-street metered or un-metered space for an unlimited time.
• Parking Website Information

Please view the parking map here(PDF, 448KB). 

• Arrive early and consider your exit strategy prior to parking.
• Expect one- to two-hour delays leaving downtown after the fireworks due to large volumes of traffic for this event.
• Vehicles should park on the side of downtown (with Red Cross St. being the dividing line) that is closest to the direction they will travel after the fireworks have ended. 
• Traffic parked south of Red Cross St. will be diverted south towards Market St., Dawson St. and the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge - includes City parking decks in the 100 block of Market St., the 100 block of N. 2nd St. as well as the County deck in the 200 block of N. 2nd St. and the CFCC deck at Nutt and Red Cross
• Traffic parked north of Red Cross St. will be diverted north towards MLK Parkway and the Isabel Holmes Bridge – includes the Wilmington Convention Center parking deck at 515 Nutt St. and the CFCC deck at 3rd and Hanover
• Those utilizing parking decks can expect longer delays due to high volumes exiting at one time. 
• No standing, stopping or parking on bridges, roadways or along medians on route 17, 74/76, 133 or 421 – police will monitor these areas and towing will be enforced.
• For traffic information call 511 or visit the NCDOT's traffic site

The following streets will close as early at 6 p.m. 

• Water St. between Dock St. and Red Cross St.
• Front St. between Dock St. and Red Cross St.
• Market St. between Front St. & Water St.
• Princess St. between N 2nd St. N Water St.
• Chestnut St. between N 2nd St. & N Water St.
• Grace St. between N 2nd St. & N Water St.
• Walnut St. between N 2nd & N Water St.

The following streets will close at 9 p.m.

• Davis St. between N 3rd St. & N 4th St.
• Northbound N 4th St. between Harnett St. & Davis St.
• Harnett St. between N 3rd St. & Front St