The Gastonia July 4 Festival is a free festival that takes over eight city blocks. It features live music, fireworks, eating contests, carnival rides (read on to learn how ride them for free) and much more.
Also: don’t forget to check out the big list of Charlotte area fireworks and 4th of July festivals and parades.
It will take place on Tuesday, July 4th, 2017, from 11 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Musical performances will be on Rotary Centennial Pavilion and food and vendors will mostly be along South Street and Main Avenue. This festival map shows where everything will be.
In celebration of Gastonia’s 140th anniversary, the city is offering everyone free tickets to the carnival rides. You can get up to five tickets at a time at any of the three ticket booths. (See map.) You can go back for more when you run out.
11:00 am
Opening Ceremony (Rotary Pavilion)
Prayer by Gastonia City Councilman David Humphries
Recognition of Gaston County Vietnam Veterans and Pinning Ceremony
National Anthem performance by Cecilia Jeffery (Soul Escape Band)
Celebrating the City of Gastonia’s 140th Birthday cupcake giveaway by Guilty Pleasures.
(First come, first served and you must get a ticket at the Pavilion Tent)
11:30 am
Festival Official Opening
Kia Sales Tent Opens (Rotary Pavilion)
Street Vendors Open
Carnival Rides and Bouncy Houses Open
Dance performance by Le Croix Academy for the Performing Arts
12:00 pm
DJ Music Begins
Watermelon Eating Contest
1:00 pm
Pie Eating Contest (Rotary Pavilion)
2:00 pm
Hotdog Eating Contest (Rotary Pavilion)
2:30 pm
Dance performance by Le Croix Academy for the Performing Arts
3:00 pm
Dance performance by Le Croix Academy for the Performing Arts
3:30 pm
Dance performance by Le Croix Academy for the Performing Arts
5:00 pm
Raine: Musical Performance
6:00 pm
Soul Escape Band: Musical Performance
7:00 pm
Caroline Keller: Musical Performance
8:00 pm
Moses Jones: Musical Performance
9:15: pm
Fireworks (fireworks time is approximate)
9:30 pm
Street Vendors Begin to Close
Carnival Rides Close
10:30 pm
Festival streets re-opened to traffic
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