Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
Takoma Park’s 128th Annual Independence Day Celebration will highlight the local Fourth of July activities tomorrow.
The first part of the day will be the parade, which will begin at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Carroll and Ethan Allan avenues. Participants will go south on Carroll, turn right on Maple Avenue and go to Ritchie Avenue where the parade will end.
The evening program will begin at 7 p.m.at Takoma Park Middle School, 7611 Piney Branch Rd. The program includes musical performances, the announcement of parade winners and a raffle drawing.
Fireworks are scheduled to begin at about 9:30 p.m. (The rain date will be the first clear evening.)
Also in Takoma Park tomorrow, Republic (6939 Laurel Ave.) will host the 4th Annual Freedom Fest to commemorate the repeal of government restriction on beer sales and celebrate local breweries.
The event will feature 25 craft beers from breweries including Denizens Brewing Co., Jailbreak, The Brewer’s Art, RAR, Manor Hill, Hellbender, Oliver Ales and Waredaca.
In addition, there will be live music performances and a barbecue smorgasbord.
Tickets to the morning (11 a.m-3 p.m.) and afternoon sessions (3-7 p.m.) are $40 each, or $60 for the day. Participants can also buy a ticket for food only for $20.
There will be parking restrictions and road closures due to the holiday activities, according to the city’s website. From 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., no parking will be permitted on either side of Jackson Avenue from Ethan Allen Avenue to Sligo Creek Parkway, either side of Ritchie Avenue from Maple Avenue to Piney Branch Road, and either side of Maple Avenue from the District line to north to Lincoln Avenue.
No parking will be allowed in the spaces behind city building/library, spaces to the rear of city building/Police Department, on Grant Avenue between Hancock Avenue and Carroll Avenue, Lee Avenue between Hancock Avenue and Carroll Avenue, Sherman Avenue between Hancock Avenue and Carroll Avenue, or on Hancock Avenue between Grant Avenue and Sherman Avenue.
In addition, there will be no parking at any of the meters along the parade route and in the staging area. The roads around the parade route will be closed off around 9 a.m. and reopened around 1 p.m.
The closest county-sponsored fireworks show will be Mid-County Sparkles, held at Albert Einstein High School, 11135 Newport Mill Rd. in Kensington.
The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. with music from Gringo Gingo and fireworks will follow at about 9:15 p.m. There will be food vendors on the site. Low lawn chairs, blankets and coolers are welcome; alcoholic beverages are not permitted.
There will be parking at the school only for disabled individuals. All others will need to take a free shuttle bus (beginning at 6:15 p.m.) from Westfield Wheaton Plaza’s north parking lot. Parking will open at 6 p.m. Any one who parks there before 6 p.m. is liable to be towed.
Rain date is July 5 for fireworks only.