Guide to Fourth of July events in the area

A detailed guide to celebrate the nation's Independence Day and 250-year anniversary.  

Scroll down to find all that is happening in the area.

Parade, car show, fireworks in Weyauwega

WEAUWEGA – The city will celebrate both Independence Day and the nation's 250th anniversary on July 3 with a community event featuring a parade, vehicle show, food, music and fireworks.

The "Weyauwega Celebrates Our Nation's 250th" festivities will begin July 3 with a parade at 3 p.m. through downtown Weyauwega. The parade will start at Maasch Park, travel along Main Street and conclude at the Waupaca County Fairgrounds. The parade is expected to include floats, veterans, classic and custom cars, motorcycles, ATVs, tractors and horses.

Following the parade, participating vehicles will be displayed at the fairgrounds during a car and vehicle show from 4 to 7 p.m. Attendees can park at the fairgrounds and there is no admission fee.

Additional activities at the fairgrounds will include bingo beginning at 4:30 p.m., food and beverage vendors hosted by local nonprofit organizations, and music and karaoke. The celebration will conclude with the City of Weyauwega fireworks display at dusk at the fairgrounds.

Rodeo returns for Fourth of July festivities

MANAWA - Instead of lighting up the sky with a traditional fireworks show, Manawa will celebrate Independence Day with broncs, bulls and boots during the annual Mid-Western Rodeo.

The multi-day celebration features rodeo events, a large downtown parade, live music and family-friendly activities from July 2-4.

The events kick off on July 2, with rodeo gates and vendor and food stands open at 6 p.m. Pre-rodeo music starts at 7 p.m., with an evening rodeo at 7:30 p.m. The Rodeo City Riders Drill Team will perform during intermission. The day’s events conclude with a free dance accompanied by live music from Spark Spark Bang at 10 p.m.

The July 3 events include a free slack performance starting at 9 a.m., with gates open to the public. That evening’s 7:30 p.m. rodeo performance is designated as Military Appreciation Night. Active and veteran military members who present a military ID or an American Legion membership card will receive free admission for themselves and one guest. A free dance with music by Steel Shot will follow at 10 p.m.

The Manawa Rodeo Parade will step off at 10 a.m. on July 4 at Little Wolf High School and conclude at the Mid-Western Rodeo Grounds. Following the parade, the rodeo arena gates will open at 11:30 a.m. with entertainment by Sizzlin’ Sonny’s Rockin’ Roadshow.

An afternoon rodeo performance at 2 p.m. will serve as Family Day, offering discounted $8 tickets for children and an appearance by the Hometown Hero’s Drill Team.

The celebration concludes with a 7:30 p.m. performance on July 4 billed as "Tough Enough to Wear Pink." Attendees are encouraged to join the cowboys and cowgirls in wearing pink to raise awareness for breast cancer. The evening will include a performance by the Pink Ribbon Rebels Drill Team during intermission and wrap up with a free dance featuring Tailgate Country at 10 p.m.

Chamber to host July 3 fireworks celebration

IOLA/SCANDINAVIA – The Iola-Scandinavia Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Independence Day fireworks display on July 3 at Iola’s Taylor Field in Olson Park, featuring special plans to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary.

The July 3 events kick off at 5 p.m. with an Iola Legion baseball game. Following the first matchup, the Iola and Scandinavia fire departments will face off in the annual "Battle for the Ax" softball game.

New to the celebration this year, "Facepainting by Ali" will be available in the late afternoon at Chet Krause Legacy Park, offering patriotic designs for children and adults unable to attend the evening festivities. Ali will later relocate to the Chamber concession stand at Taylor Field to continue facepainting until the fireworks begin.

Admission to the ballgames and the fireworks display is free and attendees may park wherever they can find an available spot. While at Taylor Field, guests can purchase food and popcorn provided by the T-Birds Booster Club, as well as beverages supplied by the I-S Chamber of Commerce.

The main event will begin at dusk, featuring a fireworks display set to patriotic music. In the event of inclement weather, the celebration will be postponed until July 5.

Chamber President Greg Loescher said that the fireworks company is planning a special, undisclosed surprise to mark the 250-year milestone.

The I-S Chamber has hosted the annual fireworks display since 2004. To cover the costs, organizers are selling raffle tickets featuring cash prizes, including a $1,000 grand prize. Tickets are available for purchase at local businesses. On the night of the event, ticket sellers will be stationed at Taylor Field and will also visit downtown bars and restaurants.

In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the village has hung commemorative flags alternating with American flags on downtown light posts.

Fremont gears up for annual River Days celebration

FREMONT – Downtown Fremont will be bustling with live music, food trucks and family activities as the community celebrates the Fremont River Days June 26-28.

The three-day event features music, kids games and a massive fireworks display. Local bars and restaurants are expected to fill up quickly as crowds gather for the festivities, which will take place at various locations across Fremont.

The celebration kicks off on June 26, with food trucks opening at 5:30 p.m. Live entertainment will begin shortly after, with the band Spicy Tie taking the stage at 8 p.m.

The June 27 events start early with a Vendor and Farmers Market running from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Afternoon activities include a pig roast at Knot Tide, with food trucks reopening at 4 p.m. The Glam Band will provide the evening's entertainment, taking the stage at 8 p.m.

The events on June 28 begin with an outdoor community church service led by St. Paul-Fremont at the Fremont River Deck at 9 a.m. Food trucks will be available starting at 4 p.m., followed by a Webfooters water ski show at 6 p.m.

The weekend will culminate with the Big Bang Fireworks show at dusk June 28. Organizers noted that Fremont "holds nothing back" for the annual fireworks display and advised attendees to find a viewing spot early.

Double J's Shuttle Service will provide transportation to and from downtown Fremont June 26-28 and July 3-5. Rides are free for passengers within a four mile radius of Fremont, including pickups at homes, bars, campgrounds and cottages. A small fee applies for trips beyond that distance.

Shuttles will also be available from park-and-ride locations at Lakeside Market (formerly Let's Meat), Blue Top Resort, Anglers Bar and Wolf River Lodge, where attendees can park and ride a shuttle into downtown. Shuttles will operate from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays, noon to 2 a.m. Saturdays and noon to 7 p.m. Sundays.

Double J’s will also offer a free shuttle from The 10th Frame in Appleton June 26-27 and July 3-4, departing at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., with return trips leaving Fremont at 10 p.m. and 1 a.m.

Event updates are on the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

Two communities, two celebrations

NEW LONDON & HORTONVILLE – Regional Independence Day planning is officially underway, with local entities locking in major holiday schedules for Saturday, July 4.

In New London, the annual Festival Foods Fireworks display will return to Cottrill Field at Hatten Stadium, located at 801 Werner-Allen Road. The free community aerial display is scheduled to launch exactly at 9:30 p.m. Pre-show highlights will again include stadium concessions.

Meanwhile, in Hortonville, the traditional holiday celebration continues out at the Damn Yankees Watering Hole (N3517 County Road M). The venue will celebrate July 4 with a live high-energy performance by popular Fox Valley variety band The Presidents starting at 8:00 p.m., directly setting the stage for their traditional big holiday fireworks display at dusk.

Fireworks over the river

STEVENS POINT – Stevens Point will celebrate Riverfront Rendezvous on July 3-5 with a combination of live music, a drone show, and fireworks held at Pfiffner Park. On July 3, Julian Gross, Wasted on Wallen, Dig Deep, Dombrowski’s Happy Notes, and BoDeans will perform throughout the afternoon and evening. On July 4 there will be a variety of entertainment from musicians like Bomber and Red, TJ Morrow, the Amelia Ford Band, and the Too Hype Crew to comedy improve from Subject to Change. In addition to live entertainment on July 4, there will be the Carp Classic Fishing Contest, a horseshoe tournament, a parade on Main Street, a market in the park, and bingo. To celebrate the fourth, the night will end with a drone light show presented at dusk by Skyflux Drone Shows. More live music is expected on July 5 with rock from Spicy Tie, polka from The Mix, and more. In addition to live entertainment, on July 5 there will be bingo, a musical instrument petting zoo, Kids Safety Day, and a horseshoe tournament. Inflatable games and carnival rides will be available all three days. The 42^nd annual Riverfront Rendezvous will conclude on July 5 at dusk with fireworks.

Fireworks at a later date

PLOVER – Plover will have their own fireworks later in the month, during Celebrate Plover on July 24-25 at Lake Pacawa Park. During Celebrate Plover, there will be a 5K on July 24, a volleyball tournament, live music, food and craft vendors, and free activities for kids. The celebration will end on July 25 with a thirty minute firework show choreographed to music over Lake Pacawa at dusk.

Double anniversary

ROSHOLT - Rosholt will celebrate the holiday with the fireworks at the Portage County Fair Grounds on July 4 at dusk, with a rain date of July 5. Additionally, the Dam Country Band will be performing and the Rosholt Threshermen will provide food and drinks. The fireworks will celebrate not only the country’s 250^th, but also 100 years of the Portage County Fairgrounds located at 186 Forest Street West in Rosholt.

History on display

WAUPACA – On Saturday, July 4, fireworks will shot over Shadow Lake at 9:30 p.m. Early arrival is recommended. The main area for this is South Park but the good viewing spots fill up quickly. Earlier that day, Independence Day Parade starts at 10 a.m. and the route runs through downtown Waupaca. Lineup begins at 8:30 a.m. at Waupaca Foundry, Plant 1.

While at the parade, check out the new exhibit at the Bandstand in honor of America's 250th anniversary. The Waupaca Historical Society Waupaca partnered with the Waupaca Area Public Library on the exhibit, "Waupaca Serves: A Story of Waupaca's Veterans and the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King." The exhibit will be up all summer. One can learn about how Waupaca served the country through the years and how the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King has served these veterans for almost 140 years.

Baseball before fireworks

CLINTONVILLE – The town is celebrating America's 250th birthday with a robust, community-wide Independence Day celebration. The cornerstone event features a large fireworks display at dusk, preceded by an evening of food, drinks, and live musical performances. The main community festivities will be held on July 3 at W.A. Olen Park (10 Memorial Circle). The fireworks and main celebration are slated for Friday, July 3, 2026. Activities: Come early to enjoy a local baseball game, food, and drinks, followed by live music leading up to the dusk pyrotechnics.