Wisconsin July 4th Fireworks, Parades and More: 2018 Guide

MILWAUKEE, WI — It's almost time for the ultimate summer celebration: The 4th of July 2018 is this Wednesday, and area communities are gearing up for Independence Day celebrations, complete with fireworks, food, live music and more. Here's a look at how and when area towns are celebrating.

Know of other events in the area or hosting your own? Post them on the Patch Calendar! or better yet, email Scott.anderson@patch.com. Milwaukee Regional Editor Scott Anderson is on the job!

Brookfield

Parade
Please check the Parade Route for information on where to see the parade. The Parade begins at 10:00 AM, on July 4th, 2018.

Ice Cream Social
The annual city-wide Ice Cream Social will take place on the Civic Plaza immediately following the parade. There will be a flag raising ceremony and other entertainment.

Family Fest
Family Fest is in full swing at Mitchell Park from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This annual pre-fireworks event features family-oriented games and activities, huge bouncing inflatables, free face painting, stilt walkers, a variety of food, and entertainment.

Special features on the Children's Stage include "Glen Gerard "Magic Productions" and "The Truly Remarkable Loon- A Comedy Juggling Show". "Our House" Band will be back with great entertainment on the Pavilion main stage. Come on out to the park earlier and find parking, have a picnic, enjoy the activities and entertainment, and stay for the fireworks extravaganza.

Fireworks
The annual fireworks display will begin at approximately 9:17 p.m. on July 4, 2018 at Mitchell Park. Arriving early for the best parking opportunities is strongly encouraged. The rain date is Thursday, July 5th, 2018 at 9:17 p.m.
Please call the Newsline for updates in the case of weather issues, (414) 297-9565 or check the city website under "News and Announcements."

Greendale

Greendale's annual Fourth of July celebration is actually a five-day festival in historic downtown Greendale along Broad Street.
There will be a public reading of the "Declaration of Independence" on July 4 at the flagpole in front of the Greendale Village Hall before the parade.
The public is invited to read sections of the Declaration of Independence. Volunteers will read a paragraph, (or part of a longer paragraph), in turn, and continue with the other volunteers assembled.

Here is the schedule of events for Greendale's festivities:

Tuesday, July 3rd, 4 p.m. -11 p.m.
4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Dueling Pianos
7:30-11 p.m. The Now

Wednesday, July 4th, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

10am Village of Greendale Parade
Noon-4:00 p.m. Bobby Way and the Wayouts
Village of Greendale Fireworks at dusk

Thursday, July 5th, 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.
4:00-7:00 p.m. Doghouse Charlie
7:30-10 p.m. Cold Sweat & Brew City Horns

Friday, July 6th, 4 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Lions Famous Fish Fry - 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
4:00-7:00 p.m. Jackie Brown
7:30-11 p.m. Bella Cain

Saturday, July 7th, 4 p.m. - 11 p.m.
4:00-7:00 p.m. Brew Town Beat
7:30-11 p.m. Rhythm Method

Madison

Here's what's in store this July 4th in Madison, WI:

Wuanaboom

What: July 4 Family Celebration
Where: Ripp Park
When: July 4, 2018 / 2:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Wuanaboom is the perfect way to enjoy your Fourth of July this year. Music, activities and food will be available as well as an F-16 flyover, Black Hawk helicopter fly-in and large fireworks display.

Monona Community Festival
What: Monona Family Festival
Where: Fireworks launch at Winnequah Firemen's Park
When: July 3-4, 2018 / 3:00 p.m.
Come on by Monona's annual Community festival for a two-day celebration of the 4th. Watch fireworks, and indulge in the food and activities available at this family friendly event.

Edgerton Fireworks
What: Firework Show
Where: Racetrack Park
When: July 3, 2018 / 4:00 p.m.-12:00 p.m.
Seeking a traditional way to celebrate the 4th? Enjoy your July 4th festively with fireworks at Racetrack Park. Spend your night viewing a fireworks display and partaking in various fun, food and activities.

Stoughton Fair
What: July 4 Fair
Where: Mandt Park 400 Mandt Parkway Stoughton, WI
When: July 4-8, 2018
What more could you ask for? Stoughton Fair provides an abundance of fun family activities including animal shows, food shows, music, drinks and more!

Milwaukee

Downtown Fireworks
The Milwaukee Lakefront Fireworks display begins at about 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at Veterans Park, 1010 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive. Plan to arrive early! The lakefront travel and parking situation can be a real mess, especially if you arrive last-minute. Here is a helpful guide from Milwaukee County:

Rules for the Fireworks at the Lakefront

1. Overnight vehicular parking is NOT ALLOWED in Veterans Park on July 2 or 3 -- See the Fees & Regulations and Event Site & Parking Map
2. Driving a vehicle into the park is NOT ALLOWED (It's never allowed!)
3. Dropping off passengers on Lagoon Road is NOT ALLOWED on July 3.The Gift of Wings Kite Store parking lot will serve as a lot for vehicles with state-issued disabled plates or hang tags. Availability is limited; when this lot is full, event-goers will need to use general parking..
4. Using tent stakes or other stakes to mark a "saved" spot is NOT ALLOWED (Staking is never allowed!)
5. Pack it in, Pack it out! So everyone can enjoy a clean, safe, and fun Fourth of July, the Milwaukee County Parks and the City of Milwaukee's Fourth of July Commission remind you to place trash in the proper containers or to take it with you.

Summerfest

If you're looking for a party on the Fourth of July, look no further than Summerfest, the world's largest music festival. Located at the Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront, it's a front-row seat for the July 3 fireworks display.

Kite Festival
A free Firework Kite Festival will be held in Veterans Park on July 3, and it lasts all day long. Bring your kite or just marvel at all the airborne creations.

Neighborhood Celebrations

Milwaukee is home to numerous neighborhood-level celebrations on the Fourth of July. Click on the parks below for celebration event schedules:

• Alcott Park
• Enderis Playfield
• Gordon Park
• Humboldt Park
• Jackson Park
• Dr. M L King, Jr. Park
• Lake Park
• Lincoln Park
• Mitchell Park
• Noyes Park
• Sherman Park
• Washington Park
• Wilson Park
• Humboldt Park,
• Lake Park,
• Jackson Park
• Wilson

Racine County

Racine Parade
The City of Racine's annual FourthFest parade is considered one of the Midwest's largest July 4th Parade. The 2018 theme is "A Storybook Parade."

The parade has More than 120 parade entries that includes live music, floats, demonstrations, and more.
The parade starts at the intersection of Goold and Main Streets and travels south on Main Street through Downtown. The parade then turns west on 14th Street. The pre-parade featuring antique cars, noisy police cars and fire engines begins at 8:45 a.m.

Racine Fireworks

Spectators are encouraged to bring a blanket and a picnic basket and relax on Racine's North Beach for the 2018 fireworks display.
The 40-minute fireworks show begins at dusk on July 4 at about 9:20 p.m. The annual fireworks show can be seen from anywhere up and down the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Burlington Festival
Celebrate the Fourth of July at Echo Park, 595 Milwaukee Ave. in Burlington Wis. for an all-day party.
Starting at 2 p.m. there will be a bean bag toss tournament, live music, beer, soda and food. Price of admission is $2. The celebration goes from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fireworks begin at dusk, which is about 9:20 p.m. on July 4.

Town of Raymond
The theme of this year's Raymond Independence Day celebration is "Small Town, Big Heart." The party goes from 2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on July 33 with live music, food and beverages at the festival grounds, on 76th St. between Highway G and Highway K.
2 p.m.: Car Show
6 p.m.: Zumba
7:30 p.m.: Live Music
On July 4, the children's parade starts at 12:45 p.m. from the Festival Grounds.
At 1 p.m. the main parade begins.
After the parade, Raymond's festival continues with live music, a tractor pull, children's games, and auctions.
Fireworks begin just after dusk at 9:30 p.m. from the festival grounds.

Union Grove
Union Grove's annual Independence Day Parade begins at 9:15 a.m. in front of the parking lot of the Racine County Fair grounds along Highway 11. The parade travels east to Main Street, and then heads north into Downtown and to its conclusion at the Union Grove High School.
The annual children's parade will assemble at the Graham Public Library parking lot and take the same route as the parade to Village Square Park.

Waterford Parade
Independence Day in Waterford begins in Downtown Waterford at 8 a.m. The annual children's parade starts at 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Milwaukee St. and Main St. downtown. The main parade begins at 11 a.m. from the intersection of 7th St. and Main St.

Along the way, the Waterford Lions Club will be selling tickets to their Duck Raffle along the parade route. Funds generated help support the parade. The raffle will be drawn at 1:15 p.m. at Ten Club Park.

Shorewood

Events Schedule:

12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Free All-Ages Swim at Shorewood High School VHE Pool
2:00 p.m. Parade setup begins (at East Kensington and North Oakland)
3:00 p.m. Parade. The parade starts at Oakland Ave. and Kensington Blvd. and heads south to Oakland and Edgewood Ave.
5:00 p.m. Lake Drive, at Atwater Park, blocked to through traffic
5:30 p.m. Shorewood Concert Band Performance, Atwater Park
7:00 p.m. Public remarks from Village President, Allison Rozek, Atwater Park
7:30 p.m. Musical entertainment from the Noyz Boys and Girlz, Atwater Park
9-9:30 p.m. Fireworks at Atwater Park

Waukesha

Waukesha Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department presents the 2018 Independence Day Activities. The event takes place on July 4, and this year's theme is "#StarsAndStripes". The parade line-up will take place in the area of Cutler Park, 321 Wisconsin Avenue, with the following schedule.

• 10 a.m. - Line-Up in the area of Cutler Park
• 11 a.m. - Parade begins

Keep your eye on the sky for a flyover by the Trojan Thunder Formation Demo Team.

Participation

Children will have an opportunity to participate in the parade by decorating their bikes, trikes, buggies, wagons, and themselves! Children and their parents can line up in Cutler Park beginning at 10:00 am. Bike helmets are strongly recommended. Groups and families are encouraged to enter floats in the parade that reflect the theme "#StarsAndStripes" and meet the minimum standards. No application for the Children's Unit is required.

Free Ice Cream
There is free ice cream available for children in the parade distributed courtesy of Waukesha Kiwanis Early Risers at conclusion of Parade (Schuetze Recreation Center).

Fireworks Salute

• 9:30 p.m.
• Presented by Woodman's Markets

The Independence Day celebration concludes with a bang! Bring your blankets and chairs to:
Waukesha County Expo Center:
1000 Northview Road
Waukesha, WI 53188

Grounds will open at 6 p.m. with the show beginning at approximately 9:30 p.m. Due to the extensive ground show, the fireworks are best viewed from the Expo grounds.
Rain Date
In the event of rain, this portion of the event will be rescheduled for July 5.
Things to Know:
Pets, carry-in fireworks (including sparklers),candles, grills, and alcoholic beverages are not allowed on Expo grounds. Please note: City Ordinance 11.22 (i.) & (j.) prohibit dogs in the park.

Wauwatosa

The 2018 parade begins at 9:00 a.m. from 80th and North Avenue (Just west of City Hall) and proceeds West to 104th Street, which is a total of 1.7 miles.

Parade

This year's parade will include several new marching bands, Floats, Veteran Associations, and Antique Autos.

Date: Wednesday, July 4
Parade Start Time: 9:00 a.m.

Festivities At Hart Park

Family fun
4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Inflatable rides, musical entertainment, food and drink concessions available.

Entertainment at the Rotary Stage

6:00 p.m.: The Radio Rosies
7:30 p.m.: Chicago Rewired

Fireworks

9:15 p.m.: Fireworks Spectacular
Hart Park is a 19.5-acre park on the Menomonee River in Wauwatosa, and is located at 7300 Chestnut Street, Wauwatosa, WI 53213.

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