Though July 4 is on Wednesday, Richmond Hill’s holiday celebration takes place on Saturday, July 7, with activities for people of all ages.
The Richmond Hill Recreation Association’s Ol’ Time Family Festival and Barbecue takes place next Saturday starting at 8 a.m. with a 5k fun run and continues throughout the day, culminating with a fireworks show right at dusk, provided by the City of Richmond Hill.
The event is free and open to the public.
"This year’s festival is going to be great," said Shelly Sauls, coordinator of the event. "We’re making it so that kids of all ages can come out and have fun all day."
Sauls said months of preparation have gone into making the event one of the best ever. She said the day will be jam-packed with games and activities ranging from a redneck golf tournament and car show to the finals of the Richmond Hill Idol contest and live music from local bands. Sauls also said there will be rides and other attractions including a NASCAR simulator and a bungee trampoline.
There will also be barbecue available for purchase all day. Plates will be $7 and whole Boston butts will sell for $20.
"This year we’ve got a lot of new stuff and we hope it will keep people busy and entertained all day long," Sauls said.
Donna Reid, Richmond Hill’s athletic director, said the event has been ongoing since the 1970s, starting out as a birthday celebration and evolving to an event for the entire community. She said Saturday’s festival will be one not to be missed.
"The day basically consists of fun for the whole family," she said.
Sauls said all the money raised Saturday will go towards the Richmond Hill Athletic Association. She said they hope to raise enough money to purchase trophy display cases and to do improvements to the playing fields.
Among the other activities, local radio station 97.3 Kiss FM will be on hand, broadcasting live and helping announce different activities throughout the day.Other activities throughout the day will include a Miss RHRA pageant, a dance for teenagers, sports activities such as a football throwing contest, and arts and crafts vendors.
Sauls said last year’s festival garnered nearly 2,500 attendees and said she hopes this year tops 4,000 or more.
For more information on Saturday’s festival, contact Sauls at 441-4872 or the Richmond Hill Recreation Association at 756-4075.
The City of Pembroke has no July 4 activities planned.
Area activities:
Fort McAllister
Ft. McAllister will host a Civil War celebration for Independence Day 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. July 4. There will be wheelbarrow races, croaker sack races, checker championship and more. Cost is $4 adults; $2.50 youth; free for active military and their families with current military ID. Call 727-2339.
Liberty County
The truest to the spirit of the celebration will be an Independence Day Colonial Faire at Fort Morris State Historic Site in east Liberty County.
It is a day of games and music from Georgia’s colonial era, along with living and military demonstrations from that time, as well as opening and closing ceremonies, prizes and musket and cannon firings. Jamie Keena will provide music.
Re-enactors will portray Georgia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence, Lyman Hall, Button Gwinnett and George Walton. They will mingle with the crowd.
The fair runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday and admission to the park that day is free, thanks to funding from Flemington’s motel tax.
The park is seven miles east of I-95’s Midway exit and has picnic facilities. Signs lead to the park. For more information, call 884-5999 or visit www.gastateparks.org.
Statesboro-Mill Creek
Statesboro will celebrate the 4th with festivities at Mill Creek Park starting at 4 p.m. There will be amusement rides, inflatable games, a rock wall and tons of other activities. Live music starts at 7 p.m. and fireworks begin at dark. For more information contact 489-2087.
Fireworks on ocean
Tybee Island’s Independence Day fireworks are set for 9:15 p.m. July 4. The fireworks will be staged from the Walter Parker Pier at the south end of the island. Go to www.cityoftybee.org/Linksaspx for more information. With one highway on and off the island it’s also good to give yourself lots of time to get to and away from the celebration.
Fireworks along the river
The Savannah River Street Association puts on its fireworks beginning at approximately 9:20 p.m. July 4 on River Street. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with live entertainment on the plaza, ice cream eating contests and more. Call 234-0295 or go to www.riverstreetsavannah.com. It’s a good idea to go early and plan to take your time getting out of downtown Savannah.
Fort Pulaski
Celebrate the Fourth at Fort Pulaski 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday. There will be cannon firings, soldier and music demonstrations, and a re-creation of a historic 1862 game of baseball.
Go to www.nps.gov/fopu or call 786-5787.
Fort King George
The Darien historic site will have its July 4 celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 4, at the fort. There will be free watermelon and lemonade. Admission is $2.50-$5; group rates are available. Call 437-4770 or go to www.gastateparks.org.