Downtown Raleigh Independence Day Celebration 2013

There will be two fireworks displays at the City’s Downtown July 4th celebration. The Fayetteville Street Show will light up at 9:15 p.m. and the Red Hat Amphitheater Show is at 10:15 p.m.

The Fayetteville Street fireworks will be launched from the surface parking lot bounded by South, Wilmington, Lenoir and Salisbury streets directly across from the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

Red Hat Amphitheater fireworks will be best viewed west of Fayetteville Street, in the Red Hat Amphitheater vicinity.

There will be free concerts in the Red Hat Amphitheater. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The music will begin at 6 p.m. with the Chris Hendricks Band, followed at 7:15 by Cravin Melon, with American Aquarium taking the stage at 8:30 p.m.

Starting at noon and not stopping until 11 p.m., Downtown Raleigh will celebrate American freedom with two stages and 16 bands on Fayetteville Street. The stages will be at City Plaza and at Morgan on Fayetteville Street.

Schedule of Events

Red Bull Sportbike Freestyle Rider: Aaron Colton (Fayetteville near Hargett)
– 5:30, 8:00

Gouge Wrestling (Davie)
– 2:30, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30

Hot Dog Eating Contest (Martin)
– 3:00 and 7:00

Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest (Martin)
2 Divisions – 10 and under and 11 and Over
– 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:30

Ice Cream Eating Contest (Martin)
– 5:00 and 8:00

Red Hat Amphitheater

6:00 – 7:00 Chris Hendricks Band (Rock)
7:30 – 8:30 Cravin Melon (Jam Rock)
9:00 – 10:15 American Aquarium (Folk Rock)
10:15 Fireworks

Morgan Street Stage

1:00 – 1:45 Apples and Airplanes
2:15 – 3:00 Inner City Mountain Men (Folk)
3:30 – 4:15 J Kutchma (Rock)
4:45 – 5:30 Les Raquets (Indie Rock Trio)
6:00 – 6:45 Hank Sinatra (Rock)
7:15 – 8:00 Jessica Long (Indie Rock)
8:30 – 9:15 Lila (Rock/HipHop)
9:30 – 10:30 Mixed Solution (HipHop)

City Plaza Stage

12:00 – 1:00 Big Mama E and the Cool (R&B)
1:30 – 2:15 A Mad Affair (Acoustic Pop)
2:45 – 3:30 Royal Noise (Jazz/Funk/Soul)
4:00 – 4:45 Dudley Taft (Blues Rock)
5:15 – 6:00 Morning After (Bluegrass)
6:30 – 7:15 Chit Nasty (Funk)
7:45 – 8:45 Marcel Portilla (Latin)
9:15 – 10:15 Triangle Brass Band (Brass Big Band)
9:15 – Fireworks (Fayetteville Street )
10:15 – Fireworks (Red Hat Amphitheater)

click to enlarge

The full printable schedule is available here.

Parking

All Downtown City of Raleigh parking garages will be staffed from noon to 11 p.m. on July 4. There will be a charge of $5 upon entry.

Sponsors

This event is sponsored by the City of Raleigh and ABC11.