For the first time in too long, we’re headed into a Fourth of July that feels … well, like the 4th of July. We’re loading up on hot dogs and hamburgers – don’t forget the buns – and planning backyard barbecues with a few friends. We’re also looking around to see what else is going on because there’s actually stuff planned. To make your search a little easier, we’ve compiled a rundown of everything patriotic happening in the Delaware River Towns on or around the Fourth.
Peddler’s Village Red, White & Blue BBQ Bash
July 2-4, Lahaska, PA
The menu includes a brisket cheesesteak, smoked turkey legs, brats, burgers, hot dogs, a pulled barbecue pork sandwich, grilled peaches, and street corn. There will also be live music all afternoon all three days. Additionally, there is a slew of classic picnic games, like water balloon tosses, three-legged races, egg-on-a-spoon races, and a watermelon-eating contest. (There will not, however, be fireworks.)
Independence Day Celebration at Washington Crossing Historic Park
July 2-4, Washington Crossing, PA
There’s a lot planned at the site where George Washington turned the tide of the Revolutionary War. It begins on July 2 with a Colonial Field Day. Compete against other families in some of the most popular games from the 18th century, like cup and ball, Jacob’s Ladder, and hoop and stick. (Marketing didn’t yet exist, apparently.) Advance registration is required.
On July 3, the park will host the fourth annual Rebels & Redcoats Classic Car Show from 10 AM to 3 PM. The free exhibition will feature American, French, British, and German cars (the four countries involved in the Revolutionary War).
Finally, on the Fourth, visitors to the park will travel back in time and experience the Fourth as it could have been in 1776. Watch historians demonstrate their crafts. A military encampment will be occupied from 12 PM to 4 PM. And there will be live readings of the Declaration of Independence at 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, and 3:30 PM. Tickets are $8 for teens and adults, $4 for kids ages 5 to 11, and free for kids under 5. A family ticket (2 adults and 2 kids who live in the same household) is also available for $20. You can buy tickets here.
unWINEd with Fireworks at Shady Brook Farm
July 2 and 3, Yardley, PA
Fear not. There will be fireworks, too. Shady Brook Farm will be staging some as part of its summer concert series. On July 2 and 3, the gates will open at 5 PM, the concerts will begin at 6:30 PM, and the fireworks will go down (up?) once it’s dark enough. ‘80s Revolution, “the ultimate dance party show band,” performs July 2. Frontiers, a Journey tribute band, takes the stage the next night. Tickets are $12. Buy them in advance online because they’re not guaranteed to be available at the gate on the night of the show.
Riverside Symphonia’s Concert Under the Stars
July 2, Erwinna, PA
The Riverside Symphonia’s wildly popular outdoor concert will return to the Fourth of July weekend for the first time since 2019. Held in Tinicum Park, it doesn’t get any more American (or family-friendly) than spreading out a blanket in the middle of a big field for a picnic dinner and fireworks. The Concert Under the Stars is made even better by the live soundtrack courtesy of the Riverside Symphonia.
Of course, there’s more than one way to picnic, and you’ll see some pretty elaborate setups here – folding chairs and tables, china, catered dinners – but don’t let the candelabras or the orchestra fool you; this is a pretension-free affair.
The Great Crate Race
July 4, Sergeantsville, NJ
If watching kids race down a steep hill in soap box cars takes you back, make a point to claim a spot near the finish line on Lower Ferry Road in Sergeantsville, NJ, around 9 AM on the Fourth, when the latest edition of the annual Great Crate Race is scheduled to start. Before the pandemic, this family-friendly event was known to draw hundreds.
