These Fireworks Displays in Delaware Will Drop Your Jaw

(For a complete listing of Fourth of July 2017 fireworks shows in Delaware, click here.)

There’s no question that Delaware goes all-out for Independence Day! After all, we’ve got to take our responsibility as the First State seriously. With all of the colonial history in Delaware, there are so many things to celebrate, beyond fireworks. Be sure to take a look at these stunning displays that are all part of a larger celebration, and then scroll down for a full list of the 4th of July celebrations in Delaware this year.

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Flickr / vpickering

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Rehoboth Beach is celebrating Independence Day on Sunday, July 3rd starting at 9:15 PM. You'll be able to catch the best fireworks in the state of Delaware from your spot on the beach. If you can fight through the crowds and get near the grandstand, you'll be treated to live music before and after the display as well. The Jolly Trolly and DART busses can help you get in and out without worrying about parking close to the event.

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Celebrate on Bethany Beach on Monday, July 4, 2016. The Bethany Beach 4th of July Parade is fun to watch and even more fun to participate in - this year's float theme is "Celebrate Your Right to Vote." So, get designing and enter your float in the morning for a chance to win awards! The Seaside Craft Show will also be going on at the same time, and collector's t-shirts are again available this year. Yard games on the beach are a tradition and fireworks start at dusk.

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Flickr / jb912

Flickr / jb912

Bowers Beach has some of the best fireworks in the state every year, and if you haven't seen them before, you absolutely need to make the trip. Start Saturday, July 2nd at the Maritime Museum, where they're celebrating Independence Day with "Hot Dog Saturday," where you'll find famous hot dogs along with yard games and live music.

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The fireworks display in Newark is one of my favorites. Hang out by the UD Athletic complex on S. College Ave starting at 6! Live music and entertainment, food, arts and crafts and old fashioned games will keep you occupied until fireworks begin around 9:00 pm.

Tubman-Garrett Park is the place to be on Saturday to watch waterfront fireworks in Delaware. There are rides and games, a giant obstacle course, and incredible fireworks. Plus, there's a crab feast and admission is free - so really, you can't go wrong here! Wilmington knows how it's done.

Other 4th of July Celebrations in Delaware are listed below by town. Everything is happening Saturday, July 2nd 2016 unless otherwise noted.

The Beaches

Rehoboth Beach is hosting their fireworks show on Sunday, July 3rd 2016. You’ll be able to see some of the best fireworks in the state from the boardwalk while listening to live music from the bandstand. The music is on from 6-11 PM and the fireworks start around 9 PM.

Dewey Beach is a great place to make a waterfront reservation and watch fireworks launch from a barge in the bay starting at 9 PM. Or, grab your beach blanket and lay out on the sand while the fireworks explode above you.

Bethany Beach puts on a lovely parade with patriotic floats and local marching bands, along with live entertainment from the bandstand. Get there early for the parade, which starts at 12 PM, and stick around for fireworks going off at dusk off of the beach.

Dover

It’s no surprise that the Capitol of the First State would have a lot going on for Independence day! Check out any of these 4 events, or mix and match throughout the day for a truly patriotic celebration. All of these events happen on Saturday.

Historic tours, live entertainment, delicious food and more will take place in historic Dover along the Legislative Mall, starting at 9:00 AM and ending with fireworks around 9:20 PM.

Old State House on the Green will be showing an Independence Day film about Caesar Rodney’s historic ride at 11 AM, 1 P and 5 PM. At 2PM and 4PM, the bell of the state house will ring while interpreters and reenactors read the Declaration of Independence from the spot where the document was first read to the citizens of Dover in 1776. If you’d like more information about any of the programs in downtown Dover, call 302-744-5055.

The Johnson Victrola Museum will be playing and discussing patriotic music played on Victor Talking Machines at their “Stars and Stripes” guided tours, which are open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM at 375 South New Street.

The Delaware Public Archives has decided to celebrate 4th of July with Jack Clemons, a local author and former NASA engineer, to mark the 46th anniversary of the moon landing. The Delaware Public Archives are located at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard North.

Hockessin

Hockessin’s 4th of July parade begins at 3 p.m. on Old Lancaster Pike, so get there early if you want to see some beautiful floats! The town is also trying something new this year by introducing the “Great American Gut Buster Food Devouring Spectacle.” and fireworks will begin at dusk. You can also take the “Fireworks Express” mentioned under “Wilmington” below to see the Hockessin display.

Laurel

The Cornhole Contest in Laurel may be more anticipated than the fireworks! There’s a pie eating contest, face painting and a huge parade as well. the parade starts at 5 PM and the fireworks go off around 9 PM.

Lewes

If you’re looking for a 4th of July Celebration in Delaware with No Fireworks, Lewes is the place to be.

Lewes’ Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration is a continuation of its traditional games day for children along with the mesmerizing Lewes 4th of July Boat Parade down the canal. Admission is free and it’s open from 9 AM to 6 PM on Saturday, July 2nd 2016.

Also in Lewes is the Classic Car Show – with a BBQ, games, music and more family activities running from 1 PM – 6 PM at Free Trinity Faith Christian Center, 15516 New Road, Lewes. For more information call 302-645-5446 or 302-745-7295.

Middletown

Middletown July 4th Parade starts at 10 a.m. at Broad and Main streets. It’s a great way to spend some time out with the family before heading over to Silver Lake Park for Fireworks at dusk. There will be plenty of food vendors at the park, which opens at 6:00 PM.

Millsboro

Millsboro’s Fourth of July Celebration at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church is one of the town’s best annual events. Children can bring their decorated bikes, trikes, strollers, wagons and even their dogs to compete for prizes.

Milton

July Fourth Celebration in Milton is “Bringing Mayberry Back to Milton.” The festivities, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., begin with an old-fashioned picnic that includes a dunk tank, sack races, pie-baking contest, games, bike decorating contest and bike parade. Music and entertainment throughout the day in the gazebo, and the Lions Club train will be running. Food available from vendors – free ice cream. The Farmers Market will be open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with live music. At 7 p.m., an “American Songbook” and “Patriotic Salute” performed at Milton Memorial Park, Front Street. For more information call 302-684-8889.

New Castle

If you love History, then you need to be at Immanuel Church on the Green, (50 Market St.) in New Castle on Saturday for the “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony. New Castle is participating in this country-wide event that starts with bells ringing in Philadelphia,and moving across the country. You’ll have to get there early – guests must be seated at the church no later than 1:25 PM for the 1:30 ceremony. Guest speaker Christopher Mlynarczyk, president of the 1st Delaware Regiment, will lead the ceremony. Following the ceremony, 13 children will ring a bell,donated by the Old Courthouse Museum to represent each of the original colonies.

Newark

Fourth of July is a party in Newark! Food, arts and crafts, jugglers and live music will kick off at 6:00 PM and fireworks start around 9:00. Head on over to the University of Delaware’s Athletic Complex on South College Avenue – but you might want to take a bus, because parking is notoriously difficult.

Smyrna

Smyrna’s fireworks and carnival draw people from around the state! There’s a dog costume contest, a huge parade, and live music starting at 9:30 AM. The Carnival opens at 10 AM in George C. Wright Park. Spend all day playing in Smyrna and then head over to the High School to watch Fireworks at dusk.

Wilmington

Beginning at 2 PM on Monday, July 4th, in Tubman-Garrett Park, Wilmington will celebrate Fourth of July on the Waterfront. There will be rides and games, a giant obstacle course, a crab feast and historical reenactments. Admission is free, and it’s going to be a great time for the whole family.

If you’re looking to get out of Wilmington, check out the “Fireworks Express” on the Wilmington & Western Railroad. This is an awesome event for families with children or anyone at all. The old fashioned train will take you to Hockessin to watch their display before returning you back to the station. You can bring your coolers, blankets and chairs, and the event is about 4 hours from start to finish. Reservations are required, so call 302-998-1930 if you’re interested.

Have a safe and fun 4th of July in Delaware!