Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Cultural Affairs Director Tina Betz invite residents and visitors to enjoy the City’s annual Independence Day fireworks show on Thursday, July 4 with family fun activities starting at 4:00 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. (Rain date is Friday, July 5 for the fireworks show only.) Wilmington’s July 4th Freedom Celebration Fireworks Show by Pyrotecnico will be choreographed to recorded music at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, at French Street and Rosa Parks Drive, and visible from many nearby locations along the Christina Riverfront.
For those not able to attend in person, the fireworks show will be livestreamed by DETV Channel 28 on the Comcast Network, as well as on DETV ‘s website and on Facebook and X, and can also be viewed on the City of Wilmington’s Facebook.
A variety of FREE, family-centered activities will be available at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park beginning at 4:00 p.m. In addition to tours of Delaware’s Tall Ship, the Kalmar Nyckel, there will be live music, face painting, and a variety of family games up until 8:00 p.m. Food and merchandise vendors will also be onsite throughout the afternoon and evening.
Please note that the selling or possessing most fireworks is illegal under Delaware law, so please leave the use of fireworks to licensed professionals instead of trying to create your own show. While fireworks can be a fun and exciting part of Independence Day, they can also be quite dangerous – sparklers, for example, burn at a temperature of 1,200 F. Again, leave fireworks to the experts, because fireworks in the wrong hands can cause burns, lacerations, eye injuries, hearing loss, and the loss of fingers.
Schedule of Musical Performances
5:00 p.m. Big Package
6:30 p.m. Cintron Mambo Magic
8:00 p.m. Soul Patch Philly
Event Parking
- Attendees are encouraged to park at any of the many lots around the Orange Street and Market Street areas.
- Take advantage of FREE parking at the Shipyard Shops, Frawley Stadium, and at the Chase Center on the Riverfront; visit the Riverfront Wilmington website for directions to these sites.
- Please note that parking at restaurants along the Riverfront is for restaurant patrons ONLY.
- The Margaret Rose Henry (New Sweden) Bridge provides easy access to I-95 North and South, I-495 North and South, and Route 13.
Road Closures
All those attending the 4th of July at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, or visiting Riverfront restaurants and area attractions, should plan for road closures and traffic delays. Safety for our patrons and community is our main priority. We expect large crowds for the fireworks; therefore, we strongly recommend that attendees arrive at the Riverfront no later than 8:00 p.m. and plan to stay until after the fireworks end. The Wilmington Police Department will be on hand to ensure a smooth and safe commute for Riverfront patrons into and out of the celebration area. Street closures and traffic advisories for the event are as follows:
- Rosa Parks Drive between Market and French streets at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park will be CLOSED beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3.
- The Market Street Bridge will be closed to pedestrian and motor traffic from Water Street through A Street from 8:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 4.
- A Street from Market Street to Walnut Street will be closed beginning at 8:30 p.m.
- All roads exiting from Martin Luther King Boulevard into the Riverfront area – including South Madison Street, Tatnall Street, Market Street, Orange Street, West Street, and Walnut Street – will be closed beginning at 8:30 p.m. in preparation for the fireworks show.
- Traffic leaving the Shipyard Shops or Riverfront area by way of Madison Street at the end of the evening will be directed to exit along Stadium Drive and onto Beech Street and out Justison Street.
- Vehicles parked north of Beech Street should use either Madison Street or Justison Street to exit, while those parked south of Beech Street should use Shipyard or Judy Johnson Drive to go over the Margaret Rose Henry Bridge.
- All roads will be reopened at the conclusion of the fireworks show.