From the Bel Air Independence Day Committee:
The Bel Air Independence Day Committee invites all to join in a tradition-filled, “Olde-Fashioned Fourth of July” in downtown Bel Air this Saturday!
The day starts off with a ceremonial flag-raising at Bel Air High School at 6:45 a.m., featuring Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 30 and American Legion Post #39, and a musical accompaniment. In fact, each of the day’s events will begin with a flag-raising ceremony at their respective sites.
The Blueberry Pancake and Sausage Breakfast kicks off at 7 a.m. just around the corner in the courtyard of the Bel Air High School cafeteria, facing Baltimore Pike. The cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children.
Registration for Horseshoe Pitching begins in the playing fields at Rockfield promptly at 8:00 a.m.–plan to arrive early! Play begins at 8:30 a.m.
Beginning at 9 a.m., the historic Hays House will offer guided tours of Bel Air’s oldest house, conducted by docents in period costumes! Plus, the Catherine Street Consort plays period music and country dance tunes using a full family of recorders, along with guitar and percussion.
Over in Shamrock Park, a bevy of community favorite events gets started at 9 a.m. There’s something for everyone, from face painting, the Turtle Derby, and the Great Bel Air Frog Jumping Contest, and a watermelon eating contest–and don’t forget about Uncle Sam Says! (For full rules regarding the Turtle Derby and Frog-Jumping Events, please visit belairjuly4.org)
Nearby, the Bicycle Rodeo begins at Bel Air Elementary School at 11 a.m. There are trophies for the Best Decorated Bike, both boys AND girls, and awards for age groups 5 and under, 6-8, 9-10, and 11-13.
At 6 p.m., the Bel Air Independence Day Parade steps off from the intersection of South Main Street and Idlewild Street! Remember that the parade route is reversed from previous years; the parade will march up Main Street to Gordon Street.
“If it is sunny, and we can only hope, the parade viewing will be spectacular with a late evening sun on the front of the parade units,” said Bel Air Independence Day Committee President Don Stewart. “The difference will be like comparing HD video to standard.”
If the parade is cancelled due to inclement weather, it will not be rescheduled. Cancellation information is announced on WBAL-AM 1090, WXCY-FM 103.7 and WAMD-AM 970.
“I think we’ve got a terrific blend of units in the parade,” says parade chairman Michael Blum. “We have more floats than bands (which is rare), and we have a lot of wonderful organizations and businesses, as well as private citizens, joining us for our parade in marching units, mobile units, comic acts and more!”
The Fourth of July in Bel Air reaches its conclusion with the spectacular fireworks display over Rockfield Park at approximately 9:30 p.m.! Spectators may watch from any permitted area in or around the Town of Bel Air. Please obey no-entry zones (see maps).
If the fireworks are cancelled due to inclement weather, they will be launched instead (weather permitting) on Sunday, July 5, 2015 at approximately 9:30 pm. See Parade Details for information about cancellation notification.
Independence Day is a time-honored tradition in Bel Air, and we hope you and your family will spend an “olde-fashioned” day with us on the Fourth!
How is reversing the parade route going to “be like comparing HD video to standard”? I have viewed the parade from both sides of the street and never worried/complained about the sun. What a terrible comparison. Was the Independence Day committee flooded with complaints about excessive sun visibility issues? Also didn’t the original announcement regarding the change in direction mention that it would make access to the fireworks easier??? How exactly? They didn’t move the parade closer they just changed direction! The celebrations in BA get more and more disappointing. They should move the events, fireworks, etc back to the high school to a central location. Here’s hoping one day.
I agree this was a terrible decision by the committee. I will not be attending the parade this year. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The route was in place for years and was just perfect.
When are these organizers finally going to get it that the turtle and frog things need to be stopped. Uprooting wildlife and putting them into situations where they are prodded and probed makes them fearful and is no fun for them. We teach kids these wild animals are for amusement and don’t teach them to respect wildlife.
Here’s a great idea – if you don’t like it, don’t go. You have every right to be outraged over it, just as the people who have no problem with it have every right to participate. The only thing that “needs to be stopped” is letting people think that they can impose their personal beliefs on everyone else.
Joe, I can only assume you are one who believes that the gays can’t get married.
Not at all. Just like the frog jumping contest, everyone has the right to participate or not participate in gay marriage, and doesn’t have the right to stop someone else from doing it.
Yeah the frogs and turtles fought to be able to be in kids contests. NOT. We are forcing them to do something that inflicts harm. The wildlife animals are not our property and endorsing cruelty is inhumane.
Hearing that the parade is cancelled due to weather. Can anyone confirm????
Dang parade is for the clams. If u need me I’ll be at the vfw clipping my toe nails
Worst. Fireworks. Ever.
1) In all the published literature, I could not find a single thing outlining where any designated viewing areas were. This meant I was pretty much on my own to find a place to watch with my son. Thanks for the help, Committee.
2) We settled on Greenbriar Shopping Center, along with several hundred other people who had the same idea. Unfortunately, this was not a great, or even good, idea. The fireworks were not shot high enough in the sky to be seen over the apartments next door. Great job, Fireworks Engineers.
3) After the “display”, we went back to our car and tried to leave. It took 35 minutes to get out of the Shopping Center parking lot. Apparently, the Committee arranged for one single Sheriff’s Department cruiser to help direct traffic at this location (there were two that I saw originally, but one of them left halfway through the fireworks. Traffic control was an afterthought. Thanks again, Committee.
I will not be back to the Bel Air fireworks any time soon.
Are you so helpless that you can’t find a place to watch the fireworks all by yourself?
I too felt firework height was a problem this year. However considering no one gets paid to do this. Good job
The parade was terrible. Huge gaps and just not a fun family atmosphere like it usually is. I personally didn’t like the new route and new location for the reviewing stand. Next year they should go back to the old route.
In case you were hoping to catch the Havre de Grace fireworks tonight:
From the Havre de Grace Police Department:
“On Sunday July 5, 2015 at approximately 3:30 pm the Havre de Grace Police Department and the City of Havre de Grace were notified by the Maryland State Fire Marshall’s Office that the annual fireworks display to take place in Tydings Park has been cancelled. Due to the recent rain events that have taken place over the last couple of weeks, the location where the fireworks are launched from are so saturated and flooded that it is unsafe to launch any fireworks from Park Island, the area across from Tydings Park.
We ask our community and media partners to disseminate and forward this information to anyone who may be traveling to Havre de Grace for the fireworks event tonight. An effort was made to find a suitable secondary location, but no other location was immediately found that could satisfy the safety requirements and needs for this type of event.
The annual carnival that is ongoing in Tydings Park this week is still open today from 4pm to 10:30pm this evening.
If there are any questions surrounding the circumstances of the fireworks cancellation, please contact the Maryland State Fire Marshall’s Office.”
Yeah, all that water might cause a fire.
Parade was good. Gaps are because of bands playing in front of reviewing stand which is why you always put the reviewing stand at the END of the parade not the beginning. My only complaint is the Bel Air VFD. Same complaint every year as they are the only fire units in the parade blasting horns and sirens blasting. WHY? It ruins the parade. There was an Italian American float with singers in front if the Bvfd. The singer was trying to get the crowd to sing a long to God Bless America. Couldn’t evdn hear the poor guy. Next year, put them right after the colors at the beginning of the parade and thry can blast all day. None of the other Departments do that, I don’t get it. Guess we learned after the Sonic incident that they only care about themselves. Other than that, great parade, job well done.
“They only care about themselves”? Here’s an idea, take yourself up there and tell all those self caring volunteers how they should go through a parade. While you’re at it see the amount of time it takes away from your families to go out and “only care about yourself”
We all know how well the fireman’s discount went down at Sonics.
Go sit around and polish your fire helmet, nutswinger.
Update on HDG Fireworks:
Mayor Bill Martin is working to reschedule the fireworks within the next six weeks, and will work on getting a barge for next year’s display.