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.

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Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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