Star-Spangled Celebrations

Official list of 4th of July events and fireworks around Dallas in 2025

Fair Park Fourth is just one of many ways to celebrate the 4th of July in and around Dallas.

Photo courtesy of Fair Park

The Dallas area sure knows how to celebrate the 4th of July, with some kind of celebration taking place nearby no matter which city you call home. Some are big, some are relatively small, but all feature a great way to gather for Independence Day.

With 4th of July falling on a Friday night, the celebrations start early in 2025, with events beginning the last weekend of June.

We've gathered as close to a comprehensive list as there is can be of the big 4th of July-themed events happening in the Dallas area in 2025; for a list of Fort Worth-area events, click here.

Saturday, June 28

Ennis Freedom Fest
Freedom Fest, presented by the City of Ennis, is a full-day event that features the Downtown Ennis Bluebonnet Market, the Red, White and Bike Parade, and an evening festival. The evening event features kids activities, music, food, and a fireworks show. Taking place at Veterans Memorial Park, the show begins at dark, but visitors must be in the park to see it.

Town of Sunnyvale presents Red, White and Boom! Sunnyfest Celebration
The Town of Sunnyvale will present their annual “Red, White and Boom!” Sunnyfest Celebration, featuring live music from country music artists Danielle Bradbery, who won season 4 of The Voice, and the Grammy-nominated David Nail. The event, taking place at Town Center Park, will also include fireworks, drone show, food, and family fun like bounce houses, a train ride, and games.

Market Street Allen USA
Market Street Allen USA is a summer party featuring music from Waterloo and Emerald City Band, food trucks, a skydiving show, and one of the best fireworks shows in Dallas-Fort Worth. While admission is free, all guests must have a ticket to enter Celebration Park, including infants and young children.

Klyde Warren Park presents Independence Day Celebration
4th of July events in Dallas proper get started with Klyde Warren Park's Independence Day Celebration, which will feature summer treats from a variety of food trucks, live music by Emerald City Band and DJ Richy Smart, family-fun games, and a pyrotechnic display for the grand finale.

4th of July Celebration in Denton
The 4th of July Celebration in Denton is a two-day event which starts with the annual Yankee Doodle Parade on June 28, featuring a variety of floats, organizations, and more. The parade takes place in and around Downtown Denton Square. On July 3, the Denton Noon Kiwanis Club will bring back the city’s fireworks show for Independence Day. Prior to the fireworks will be live music performances. That event takes place at the North Texas Fairgrounds.

Tuesday, July 1

Red White & Lewisville
Red White & Lewisville, part of the Sounds of Lewisville series, will feature performances by The 8Tracks, a tribute to the icons of rock, and rising country star Kate Watson. The event will culminate with both a drone show and fireworks show. It takes place at Wayne Ferguson Plaza in Old Town Lewisville.

Thursday, July 3

City of Arlington presents Light Up Arlington
Light Up Arlington is an Independence Day celebration that includes some of the top musical acts in Dallas-Fort Worth, vendors, food trucks, and kid-friendly fun. The evening ends with a big fireworks show. The event takes place in and around downtown Arlington.

Lone Star Park presents Lone Stars & Stripes Celebration
Lone Star Park's annual Lone Stars & Stripes Celebration on July 3 and 4 features live horse racing; live music on the Courtyard of Champions Stage from 3-9 pm, featuring The Mullet Boyz; family activities like a petting zoo, pony rides, face painters, airbrush tattoo artists, inflatable slides, obstacle course, and games. After the last race, there will be 20-minutes fireworks show, choreographed to music.

Addison Kaboom Town!
Addison Kaboom Town! is a townwide celebration, with watch parties hosted by many of the Town’s 200 restaurants. The official watch party at Addison Circle Park features food and drink vendors, musical entertainment, and family-friendly activities. The nationally-renowned fireworks show will be preceded by the Addison Airport Air Show, an aerial spectacle that can be seen from miles away. The air show will begin at 7:30 pm, two hours prior to the fireworks show.

The Sound at Cypress Waters presents Sensory Sensitive 4th of July Celebration
The Sound at Cypress Waters' annual Sensory Sensitive Fourth of July Celebration provides a fun and safe alternative to people and pets who deal with noise sensitivity. Traditional fireworks are replaced with LED bracelets that synchronize to create a dynamic and immersive light display. The event will also include a concert by Reputation, a Taylor Swift tribute band, a Dallas Symphony Orchestra Petting Zoo, arts and crafts, face painting, balloon art, a pet parade, and more.

City of Garland presents Red, White & You
The City of Garland's Red, White & You is an Independence Day celebration featuring live music, games for all ages, and fireworks. Performers will include Q the Band and American Bombshells. There will also be a variety of carnival rides, a bunch of food trucks, a pie eating contest, an outdoor skating rink, a fun house maze, and more. The event takes place in Garland City Square.

Frisco Freedom Fest
Frisco Freedom Fest will be a two-day event, starting on July 3 at Kaleidoscope Park with a night of fun, including the Party in the U.S.A. 5K race, a pet festival, cornhole tournament, and a drone show. It continues on July 4 at Simpson Plaza with with live music, a car show, kids activities & amusements, and a 20-minute fireworks show following the FC Dallas game against Minnesota United FC.

City of Irving presents Sparks & Stripes
The City of Irving's annual Independence Day celebration is a two-day event, featuring an evening event with live music, fireworks, drones, and more at Levy Event Plaza on July 3. It will be followed by a morning parade throughout the Irving's Heritage District on July 4, featuring marching bands, floats, and all things red-white-and-blue.

City of Wylie Fireworks
The City of Wylie's annual 4th of July celebration will feature a live DJ, food trucks, four bounce houses, and a Wylie Fire water spray area located near the central pavilion. The 17-minute fireworks display will be fired from the Birmingham Agricultural Center off of Hensley Ln. (adjacent to the festival location of Founders Park) at 9:45 pm.

City of Carrollton presents Independence Day Fireworks Show
The City of Carrollton's annual Independence Day Fireworks Show takes place over Josey Ranch Lake. Residents are encouraged to view the fireworks from surrounding neighborhoods or from one of the available parking areas. There will be no on-site event; however, viewing from the grassy area around the site is allowed.

Friday, July 4

Arlington Independence Day Parade
The Arlington Independence Day Parade is the oldest event in Arlington and one of the largest 4th of July parades in Texas. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the 2025 theme is “Shining Bright Since ’65, Arlington Independence Day Parade, Diamond Jubilee.” The parade, which features 120 entries, steps off at the intersection of West St. and Mitchell St., traveling around downtown Arlington.

The Colony Parks & Recreation Department presents Liberty by the Lake
The annual Liberty by the Lake is a daylong event that starts in the morning with the Liberty 5K, 10K & Mile Fun Run and Independence Day Parade. The main evening event at The Colony Five Star Complex features games, a watermelon eating contest, rides, food, live music, and more. The night will end with a fireworks show set to patriotic music.

Dallas Winds presents "Star-Spangled Spectacular"
Dallas Winds' annual "Star-Spangled Spectacular" is a red, white, and blue musical salute to mom, apple pie, and the American way, Dallas Winds style. There will be hot dogs, ice cream, and indoor fireworks. The event takes place at Meyerson Symphony Center.

City of Rowlett presents Fireworks on Main
The City of Rowlett's Fireworks on Main will feature a dazzling fireworks display, a performances by Emerald City Band, kids activities and games, food trucks, and more. The event takes place at Pecan Grove Park.

Little Elm presents July Jubilee
A year after essentially being flooded out, Little Elm's July Jubilee returns with a full event at Little Elm Park. The event will feature a performance by Empire6, on-site food trucks and bars, and a fireworks show over Lewisville Lake.

Fair Park Fourth
The biggest event in Dallas proper, Fair Park Fourth features hands-on activities for kids, local market vendors, live music, entertainment, food trucks, and other concession offerings. The event ends with a spectacular firework show, which guests can experience from across Fair Park. Indoor cooling areas will be available.

Monument Realty PGA District presents Fireworks on the Fairway
The annual Fireworks on the Fairway will feature live music by party band Downtown Fever, carnival games, food trucks, face painting, and more. The celebration will include a modern drones show followed by a traditional fireworks show. The event takes place at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort.

The City of Plano presents All American 4th
At Plano’s All American 4th, visitors can enjoy free games, a parade by The Rotary Clubs of Plano, and food from a wide variety of vendors and food trucks. The event culminates with a fireworks show over Oak Point Park, with music simulcast on 97.5 KLAK.

Grapevine presents July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza
The City of Grapevine may not put on a festival-style event like other cities, but their annual July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza is still a great spectacle, featuring fireworks shot of over Lake Grapevine, set to patriotic music. There will be a variety of viewing locations at or near the lake; locations will be announced in the weeks leading up to July 4.

Saturday, July 5

The Village Dallas presents Boots, Bites & Lights
The fun doesn't stop on July 4: The Village Dallas will present Boots, Bites & Lights, featuring live country music, local artisan vendors, classic lawn games, and family-friendly activities, all leading up to a drone light show. Guests can enjoy smoked meats and signature bites from B4 Barbeque & Boba from Mabank, TX.

holidays kids families music fairs-festivals event-planner

Awards Season

CultureMap critic's guide to the 2026 Oscar Best Picture nominees

Michael B. Jordan and Miles Caton in Sinners

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

undefined

The nominations for the 2026 Academy Awards have been announced, with 10 films vying for Best Picture. Leading the way is Sinners with an astonishing 16 nominations, the most in Oscars history.

The other top films include One Battle After Another, which earned 13 nominations, and Frankenstein and Sentimental Value, which each got 9 nominations.

As a refresher, below are links to the full reviews for each of the nominees covered by CultureMap in the past year, as well as brief thoughts on the films and their various nominations.

Movie fans will have plenty of time to catch up with each of the nominees, as this year's Oscars ceremony will not take place until Sunday, March 15.

Here's the list of Best Picture nominees, in alphabetical order:

Bugonia
Yet another off-the-wall film from director Yorgos Lanthimos features two great performances by Emma Stone (nominated for Best Actress) and Jesse Plemons at its center. Written by Will Tracy (nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay), the conspiracy theory film is alternately brutal and funny as the characters played by Stone and Plemons use their form of power to try to manipulate the other. With a fair amount of intrigue and two great actors going head-to-head for much of its running time, it gives even more Oscar pedigree to its filmmakers and stars.

F1
The biggest surprise among the Best Picture nominees has to be the racing movie F1. It was a technical marvel, to be sure, as its nominations in Film Editing, Sound, and Visual Affects attest. But the fact that it has no other nominations in any of the above the fold categories indicates that its other qualities are lacking. As a showcase (aka advertisement) for the sport it depicts, the film works relatively well. As a complete movie, though, there’s not much to recommend, to the point that it almost negates any of the positives that come from the racing scenes.

Frankenstein (not reviewed)
Writer/director Guillermo del Toro (nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay) loves himself a monster movie, and he takes on one of the classics with his new version of Frankenstein (now streaming on Netflix). Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein, who brings to life The Creature, played by Jacob Elordi (nominated for Best Supporting Actor). With a slew of nominations in technical categories, there's a chance this film goes home with a lot of awards at this year's ceremony.

Hamnet (not reviewed)
Writer/director Chloé Zhao (nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay alongside co-writer Maggie O'Farrell) gets back to her Oscar-worthy skills for the first time since 2020's Nomadland (after the unfortunate detour into the MCU with Eternals). A story about love, loss, and grief involving William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, the film is most notable for the performances of its two leads, Jessie Buckley (nominated for Best Actress) and Paul Mescal.

Marty Supreme
There was no other movie this year, or maybe even this century, like Marty Supreme. Directed and co-written by Josh Safdie (nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay alongside co-writer Ronald Bronstein), the film is an almost continuous blast of pure energy for 2 ½ hours. So many different things happen over the course of the film that the story defies conventional narratives. At its center is the fast-talking, powerhouse performance by star Timothée Chalamet (nominated for Best Actor), who cements his status as his generation’s movie star one year after playing the polar opposite role of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Look for the film to be a strong contender in the inaugural Best Casting category, as Safdie fills the film with non-actors who are crucial to the film's success.

One Battle After Another
Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson (nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay) has an acclaimed career going back 30 years, but has yet to actually win an Oscar. That will change this year, as One Battle After Another is one of the favorites to win Best Picture thanks to Anderson's stellar filmmaking, as well as multiple great performances that earned the film four acting nominations (Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor, Teyana Taylor for Best Supporting Actress, and Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn for Best Supporting Actor). Add in a story with a very timely political critique (that's getting more relevant by the day) and you have the recipe for a big winner on Oscar night.

The Secret Agent (not reviewed)
No foreign country has quite the influence on the Oscars as Brazil, which for the second straight year has gotten one of its films nominated for both Best International Feature Film and Best Picture. Written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, the film is anchored by the performance of Wagner Moura (nominated for Best Actor) as a technology expert in the late 1970s who flees from a mysterious past to try to find peace in his hometown.

Sentimental Value (not reviewed)
For the third year in a row, two international films made the cut in the Best Picture race (but whither It Was Just an Accident?). Directed and co-written by Joachim Trier (nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay alongside co-writer Eskil Vogt), the film is tied for the most acting nominations this year, earning nods for Renate Reinsve for Best Actress, Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Best Supporting Actress, and Stellan Skarsgård for Best Supporting Actor.

Sinners
It takes a special kind of filmmaker to make movies that are both popular and Oscar-worthy, and writer/director Ryan Coogler (nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay) has done it again, seven years after helming the Oscar-winning Black Panther. Both a tribute to Black music history and a gnarly vampire movie, the film is led by Michael B. Jordan (nominated for Best Actor) in dual roles as twins Smoke and Stack. With a story infused with all manner of subtext and a bunch of great supporting performances, including Best Supporting Actress nominee Wunmi Mosaku, the film demonstrates Coogler's great filmmaking abilities that should keep him in demand for years to come. Amazingly, there was only one category for which it was eligible in which it did not receive a nomination.

Train Dreams (not reviewed)
The second Netflix movie this year to be nominated, Train Dreams is a contemplative film about a logger (played by Joel Edgerton) in early 20th century America who tries to adapt to a rapidly-changing world. Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for the script by director Clint Bentley and co-writer Greg Kwedar, the film is most notable for the work done by Adolpho Veloso (nominated for Best Cinematography), who showcases the Pacific Northwest in all its glory.

movies film