2020 Triangle Area 4th of July Events Guide – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Triangle area 4th of July festivities have been postponed out of concern for crowd sizes and lack of social distancing. However, communities around the Triangle have come up with creative ways to celebrate the holiday while maintaining public safety.

Here are the Independence Day events happening around the Triangle this year:
July 2: Selma’s All-American Fireworks Show – Selma is one of the few towns in the area still hosting a fireworks show. Fireworks can be seen from the “Catch-Me-Eye” area at Hwy 70 & Hwy 301. The show will start at 9:15pm and people are asked to stay in their vehicle for the duration of the show to maintain social distancing.
July 3: Garner’s 4th of July Video Celebration – The Town of Garner will be airing an Independence Day special via its YouTube Channel as well as government access channel GTV11 (Spectrum channel 11). The video special can be viewed from the comfort of your home on July 3rd at 8pm and will be re-broadcast throughout the holiday weekend.
July 3: OneEno – EnoFest 2020 – The Festival for the Eno, which is normally held on July 4th weekend each year, has been canceled for 2020. However, the Eno River Association has come up with a virtual event in its place. OneEno – EnoFest 2020 will be broadcasted from the Carolina Theatre in Durham. The show will feature musical performances, a virtual crafts market, and profiles of local artists. Catch the event live on Friday, July 3rd from 8-11pm or rebroadcasted on Saturday, July 4th at 8pm on the EnoFest website. Additionally, festival merchandise will be for sale in the plaza outside Carolina Theatre from 3-8pm on the 3rd along with offerings from local food trucks plus fresh popcorn and other concessions from the Carolina Theatre. Masks are required and social distancing protocols must be observed.
July 3: Wake Forest Fireworks Show – The Town of Wake Forest will still host its fireworks spectacular, but Heritage High School’s stadium will be closed to the public. People are encouraged to watch the fireworks on the town’s Facebook page starting around 9:30pm. The show will be re-broadcast on WFTV 10 (Spectrum channel 10) throughout July.
2020 Triangle Area 4th of July Events Guide
July 4: Durham Bulls ‘Movie on the Monster’ & Virtual Fireworks – In lieu of their traditional July 4th celebration, the Durham Bulls will be showing a movie on the big screen followed by virtual fireworks. They will have ‘pods’ placed at safe distances throughout the outfield for the screening of “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Pods are available for up to 5 guests at $150 or up to 10 guests at $300. Visit the Movies on the Monster website for more details.
July 4: Apex’s Drive Through Red, White, & Blue – The Town of Apex will host a processional of decorated cars through Downtown Apex starting at 10am on Saturday, July 4th. The event is limited to 200 vehicles, so participants are asked to register online. The Town emphasizes that the processional is not intended for spectators, so they ask that people do not gather along Salem Street.
July 4: Independence Day in the Beer Garden at The Glass Jug Beer Lab – The craft brewery and taproom in Durham will welcome guests into their outdoor beer garden on July 4th from 4 to 11pm. The Oink N Moo food truck will be serving smoked BBQ from 5 to 9pm while the CocoCrissi Tropical Icee truck will be scooping Italian ice from 6 to 9 pm. A screening of the Sandlot will happen on the brewery’s outdoor movie screen beginning at 8:15pm. For everyone’s safety, picnic tables will be spaced 6 feet apart and all patrons will be required to wear masks when not seated at their tables.
July 4: Carrboro’s 4th of July Celebration – Carrboro plans to host a vehicle parade, a live-streamed essay reading, plus live music and entertainment via live stream. Click here for more info.
July 4: Roxboro Fireworks Show – The city has canceled its annual parade but still plan to have a fireworks display. Person High School’s stadium will not be open to the public so spectators are encouraged to watch from the safety of their vehicles. Fireworks will begin around 9pm.
July 4: Town of Clayton Virtual Concert – The Town of Clayton will stream The Malpass Brothers playing live from the Clayton Center beginning at 7pm.
July 3-5: Drive-Thru Fair Food Days – The North Carolina State Fair is hosting a drive-thru food event, giving you the chance to eat all of your favorite State Fair foods. The event runs from noon to 6pm Friday through Sunday. Sales are cash only and patrons will remain in their vehicles at all times. Drivers should enter the fairgrounds parking area off of Trinity Road.
July 4: Free Fishing Day – July 4th is Free Fishing Day in North Carolina. Residents and non-residents alike can fish in any public body of water without having to purchase a fishing license.