Patriots Point 4th of July Celebration Noted by the New York Times as one of the top five July 4th celebrations in the country, the Patriots Point party and fireworks in Mount Pleasant, SC is the place to be for Independence Day. July 4th, 2011 will mark the 15th annual Independence Day celebration at 40 Patriots Point Road where the Naval & Maritime Museum is located. In past years this event has attracted between 27,000 and 35,000 people who choose to remember and celebrate our purpose as a freedom loving people. South Carolinians and visitors alike come to honor those who have fought since this county's inception to preserve that freedom for us so that "We the People" remember not to be complacent in our duty to maintain the liberties our founding fathers put in place for us to enjoy as a nation; the primary liberty being independence from tyranny.
In honor of our nation's freedom the event is offered with free admission to the point and free parking as well. Starting at 5:00 pm running to 9:30 pm, the Patriots Point 4th of July extravaganza begins with discounted admission to the museum from 5-7pm where guests can tour the USS Yorktown, USS Clamagore, Medal of Honor Museum, Vietnam Base Camp and Cold War Submarine Memorial. The beginning hour of the event leaves plenty of time earlier in the day for attendance at local parades, a day at the beach, visiting family, a backyard cookout or any other way you may choose to celebrate the day prior to coming out to Patriots Point. But do try to come a bit early to park and bring your chairs to find just the right spot and settle in for the fun. (Please, leave the personal coolers at home.)
Once you've staked your spot by the harbor, the festivities include two stages for musical performances throughout the evening and storytelling featuring soldiers who have fought to preserve our independence in recent and long ago wars. Some of these soldiers may have served on the USS New Yorker, an aircraft carrier docked at Patriot Point that now serves as a feature of the Naval & Maritime Museum, one of the largest museums of its kind in the world. The aircraft carrier and other exhibits will be open to the public on July 4th beginning at 5:00 pm. On the vessel are warplanes that have been in service in multiple wars and conflicts spanning from WWII to Desert Storm. Take the tour and imagine how it was for those men and women serving aboard the ship or who piloted the planes in defense of our freedoms.
There will be a food & beverage village serving various foods, sandwiches, snacks, water and drinks. There are typically amusement type attractions for the kids to enjoy such as bounce houses and a Ferris wheel among other kid-type activities in the Kidz Zone to create a carnival atmosphere for a family celebration. (Check official website for details of activities.) The museum, music, soldier's stories, food and fun are all part of the anticipation of the big event, which is, of course, the fireworks. As the sun sets and the skies grow dark enough, right around 9:30 pm people look to the skies. From atop the flight deck of the USS Yorktown, a grand display of fireworks will burst overhead and reflect in the harbor to light the night with reds, whites, blues and all other colors of the spectrum. On the air will drift the exclamations of admiration as each firework bomb bursts in the air. And perhaps, knowing that all around the country, millions of other Americans will witness a similar fireworks display and have this same experience as the sun sets on their horizon, we'll all feel a unified internal burst of pride that our flag still does stand for freedom. And the fireworks will be a perfect ending to an all American day of celebration.
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