Celebrate our nation’s 238th birthday with the snap, crackle and pop of a fireworks show that is the culmination of a day filled with fun, food and music.
July 4 festivities begin early at 7 a.m. with The Shark Run at the Flora-Bama. Runners wear a bait belt and the “sharks” try to catch them on the race route. The run will have two miles of road and 2.5 miles of beach running. There will also be a 1-mile beach Fun Run/Walk.
Observe July 4th while strolling through a piece of history during Fort Morgan’s Salute to Independence, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Historical interpreters, dressed in period uniforms of the U.S. Army from different eras of the fort’s occupation, will conduct guided tours of the fortification, as well as demonstrations that show what faced the military garrisons at Fort Morgan. Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors, age 65 and older and $4 for children ages 6 to 12.
If the call of a fishing tournament has you entranced, head over to the Orange Beach Marina July 4 and 5 for the 31st 2014 MBGFC Junior Angler Tournament. There will be a cookout at 6 p.m. for Junior Anglers and a mandatory captain’s meeting at 7 p.m.
Love food? Spend some time at The Art of Alabama Food Exhibit July 2 til Aug. 9. The exhibit, at The Compleat Studio at The Wharf in Orange Beach, features photographs of 36 of the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die.” Tastings, cooking demonstrations and book signings with some of Alabama’s best-known chefs are part of the exhibit.
Before the fireworks show at 9 p.m. the City of Gulf Shores will begin its July 4 celebration at 6 p.m. with carnival-like activities that include stilt-walkers, face painters, balloon artists, a live DJ, snow cones and more. All of the activities will be at the main public beach at the end of Alabama Highway 59. At 9 p.m., grab a piece of beach and watch the fireworks extravaganza. The fireworks will be shot off from a barge stationed due south of the West 2nd Street beach access point, leaving the main public beach area as an ideal location for spectators.
For more Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Fourth of July activities, visit the calendar.