4th of July Parade in Gatlinburg Celebrates Americas Indepence with Midnight Spectacular

Celebrate the 4th of July with nearly 100,000 of your best friends!

For the 34th consecutive year, Gatlinburg kicks off America’s Independence Day celebration with the nation’s first parade leading off at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 4. This midnight spectacular – with giant helium balloons – is a patriotic tribute to the four branches of our armed services and leads into a full day of fun.

For a little American ingenuity-fueled adventure, take in Gatlinburg’s popular River Raft Regatta at noon on Saturday, July 4th. A family favorite for friendly competition, this unmanned river raft race is hosted by the United States Navy and has featured boats made of matchsticks, floating rocks and even rubber ducks! Gatlinburg’s popular River Raft Regatta takes place at noon on Saturday, July 4th, beginning at the River Terrace bridge on River Road and ending at the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies bridge in downtown Gatlinburg. This unmanned river raft race will be hosted by the United States Navy and is open to anything floatable except balls and plastic eggs. In the past, families have entered boats made out of matchsticks, floating rocks, as well as little rubber ducks. Registration begins at 10 a.m., with the race beginning promptly at noon. Support for the River Raft Regatta is provided by the Gatlinburg Recreation Department.

Then, just an hour after sundown, the Fourth’s Grand Finale occurs on the streets of downtown Gatlinburg with a fireworks extravaganza visible all along the Parkway from Traffic Lighe #3 to the Sky Lift starting about 10:30 p.m. Lasting almost 20 minutes in duration, the sights and sounds of “the rocket’s red glare” will fill the sky as a fitting tribute to this day of celebrating freedom.