Albany Festival & Fireworks, other area events will mark July 4

ALBANY — Fireworks, festivals and music will be part of the festivities as cities around the region hold Independence Day celebrations, with Albany’s annual event expected to bring as many as 20,000 people downtown on Monday, with a DJ, musical performances and a colorful display lighting up the night-time sky.

The city of Sylvester kicks off the holiday weekend at 7 p.m. on Friday with a concert featuring Stephen Harrell and the Dusty Boots Band, with food and alcohol vendors on hand. The evening will be capped with a fireworks display.

Camilla’s fifth Independence Day festival kicks off two days of events as Saturday and Monday’s continuation includes a small-engine parade at 8:30 p.m. Fourteen bands will perform at two separate venues, with the festival running from 5 p.m.-11 p.m. both days.

In Albany, the gates open at 5 p.m. Monday for the Independence Day Festival & Fireworks presented by the city’s Recreation and Parks Department. DJ Planet X will host the festivities at the Veterans Park Amphitheater starting at 5:30 p.m. Performances are set for Larry Mallory at 6 p.m., Riley Anderson at 7 p.m. and the G&S Experience at 8 p.m.

Fireworks are scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m.

“This is truly a team event,” Alexandra Brown, events and marketing coordinator for the Recreation and Parks Department, said. “It pulls in every city department. It’s definitely an all-hands-on-deck event.”

Food vendors, arts and crafts, and several area businesses will be on hand to satisfy the thirst and appetites of the crowd and to offer their products.

“We’re hoping people will come see some of the downtown shops while they are in our community,” Brown said. “We generally have an estimate of around 20,000 (visitors). We have groups from surrounding counties that come back every year.”

There will be plenty of security on hand to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Dougherty County Emergency Medical Services also will have an ambulance and personnel at the festival.

Handicap parking will be available at the Albany Civic Center by entering the parking lot from the Washington Street entrance.

And, a big request is to leave the canine friends at home out of the concern they could bolt due to the explosions from the fireworks.

“We do have safety measures in place,” Brown said. “We would appreciate people leaving their pets at home. We don’t want them getting lost. We ask that people not bring fireworks and sparklers to the event. Sparklers and fireworks will not be allowed.”

A fireworks display will originate on the Broad Street bridge, which, yes, will be closed to traffic beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The party will extend down Front Street, which also will be closed to traffic on Sunday from Oglethorpe Boulevard to Whitney Avenue.

On Monday, Front Street will be closed at 1 p.m. from Oglethorpe to the roundabout at the intersection of Pine Avenue. Portions of several other downtown streets and alleys also will be closed.

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