Best Bets: 5 places to see fireworks on the Space Coast, plus other patriotic celebrations
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Stars and Stripes in Suntree
Why wait for the Fourth, when you can start partying on the third? At 4 p.m., Sunday, July 3, Suntree United Methodist Church will pull out all the stops with Suntree Stars & Stripes, a large and completely free patriotic celebration that is a gift to the community from the church located at 7400 N. Wickham Road.
The includes assortment of activities on the lawn for the kids, including Corn Toss, Jumbo Jenga and Big Connect 4. Families can also follow clues during an enjoyable self-guided scavenger hunt. A free dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs will be served throughout the afternoon, along with pasta salad, chips, cookies and lemonade.
At 6:30 p.m., the action moves indoors for a concert of patriotic favorites featuring the Melbourne Municipal Band, led by conductor Staci Rosbury, along with the Suntree United Methodist Chancel Choir under the direction of Dr. Robert E. Lamb.
For more than 50 years, the Melbourne Municipal Band has made music for the community. One-third of MMB members are professional musicians and music educators. Many of them are alumni of top military bands and nationally known musical groups.
“Suntree United Methodist Church is happy to invite the whole community for this wonderful patriotic celebration here on the church grounds,” said Grace Stiles-Williams, director of welcome and outreach at Suntree United. “It will be an afternoon and evening of fun, food and music, all of it completely free.”
For more information, call 321-242-2585.
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Fireworks and fun in Port St. John
The Port St. John Community Foundation invites the community to come out and celebrate Independence Day with “Thunder over the Indian River,” an all-out celebration of the Fourth that will be held Saturday, July 2, with DJ Trevis T-DOG Owens, inflatables, barbecue contest, food/dessert trucks, games, prizes, raffles and bang-up fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
Red, Hot and BBQ wristbands may be purchased at 4 p.m. for $10. Serving begins at 5 p.m. Participants may sample as much barbecue as they like to vote for their People’s Choice.
Bounce house wristbands are $8 per child for four hours. Purchase a bounce house wristband together with a barbecue band for $15.
Gates, which open at 4 p.m., are on Kings Highway, directly across from Capron Road.
Volunteers are welcome to help.
For more details, see portstjohncommunityfoundation.com.
Symphony under the Stars in Cocoa Village
Brevard Symphony Orchestra takes up residence at Cocoa’s Riverfront Park on the Fourth of July for Symphony under the Stars, a decades-old Space Coast tradition.
The free concert begins at 8 p.m. before the fireworks take to the skies at 9:15 p.m. Bring a chair to catch the music and the boom, or join BSO supporters, musicians and staff for the VIP barbecue at Cocoa Civic Center, where you will enjoy dinner and dessert.
Reserved parking and reserved concert seating, as well as the meal, are included in the $60 tickets for subscribers and $75 for non-subscribers. Purchase at brevardsymphony.com/symphonyunderthestars.
Independence Day cookout in Rockledge
Enjoy a Fourth of July cookout without getting the grill grimy, thanks to the City of Rockledge, host of an Independence Day picnic that is one of the best bargains in town.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the Fourth, enjoy a hamburger or a hot dog, chips and a drink for a mere one dollar, and that is not all. There will be games, music and more, too.
The celebration will be at McLarty Park, 790 Barton Blvd., Rockledge. Everyone is invited.
Call 321-221-7540 for more information.
Patriotic parade on Merritt Island
The fourth annual Veterans Memorial Center/Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Merritt Island Independence Day Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on the Fourth.
Route travels south on Courtenay and left on Merritt to Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School. All are encouraged to continue the celebration at the Veterans Memorial Center for music, plenty of barbecue goodies, refreshments and more.
Contact 321-264-7755 (BCSO) and 321-453-1776 (VMC) for more information.
Booming Green Gables in Melbourne
Historic Green Gables by the Indian River offers the perfect spot to view MelBOOM, the City of Melbourne’s fireworks display. Bring a chair and sit by the river's edge from 7 to 10 p.m. to catch the action. There will be music and food booths to keep you occupied between the booms.
Cost is $10 per car or $15 at the gate. No smoking or alcohol is allowed.
Buy tickets at greengables.org.
Celebrating the Fourth in Palm Bay
The City of Palm Bay’s annual Independence Day Celebration returns to the Palm Bay Campus of Eastern Florida State College, 250 Community College Parkway S.E. from 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday, July 2.
Fireworks nicely cap off the evening around 9:15 p.m. In addition to the fireworks, the event will feature more than 20 food trucks, vendors, music and a kids’ zone with free inflatables, games and face painting.
Blue Stone Circle is featured band with a repertoire of pop, rock, blues/funk, modern and hard rock, beach music, and all the old standards.
For more information, call 321-726-2760.
Fireworks over Viera
Plan for fireworks in Viera on Monday, July 4, in honor of the Great American Celebration. Promptly at 9 p.m., weather permitting, look for the vibrant display of lights filling the nights sky just east of USSSA Space Coast Complex.
View in person or through Facebook Live. Can't make the event? Not to worry, since it can later be viewed at VieraCommunityInstitute.com.
Guided sea turtle walks
The Sea Turtle Preservation Society, 111 S Miramar Ave., Indialantic, offers guided sea turtle walks on various nights throughout July.
Wear beach-appropriate dark clothing with comfortable shoes, as you may have to walk up to a half-mile on the beach each way. There will be no flash photography or lights on the beach. Bug repellent is highly recommended. Children under 7 are not permitted. Reservations are required. The cost is $18. Call 321-676-1701 or visit seaturtlespacecoast.org.
Samsons Island Boat Tours
The City of Satellite Beach provides transportation to and from Samsons Island conservation area and nature park on the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m, weather permitting. Samsons Island is a 52-acre passive nature island in the Banana River open dawn to dusk.
Due to increased popularity and limited availability, advance reservations for the boat shuttle are required. Visit satellitebeach.org.
Flick-N-Float: ‘Luca’
Watch the movie ‘Luca’ (PG) from the pool at McLarty Park Aquatic Center, 790 Barton Blvd., Rockledge, on Friday, July 8. Swimming starts at 6 p.m., and the movie starts at 9 p.m.
The cost to swim is $4, and the movie is free to watch whether you’re in the pool or on the lawn. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. No outside flotation devices are allowed, but tubes will be provided.
The event may be canceled in the event of severe weather. Call 321-633-1874 or visit facebook.com/events/488840695920886.
Free movie in the park: ‘Soul’
The Disney Pixar movie ‘Soul’ (PG) will be shown outdoors at Mitchell Ellington Park, 575 W. Hall Road, Merritt Island, on Friday, July 1 at 9 p.m. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Admission is free.
The event may be canceled in case of severe weather. Call 321-633-1874 or visit facebook.com/events/688973362260550.
Ranger-led tour
Turkey Creek Sanctuary, 1518 Port Malabar Blvd NE, Palm Bay, offers free ranger-led tours on the first and third Sundays of most months, excluding holidays, from 10 to 11 a.m. The next tour will take place on July 3.
Participants should meet at the sanctuary Nature Center and bring sturdy tennis shoes or boots, sunscreen, insect repellent, water, snacks, binoculars and a hat. Tours will take place on the boardwalk and various trails. Each tour will be led by a Park Ranger and will focus on common plants and animals found in the sanctuary.
Total distance for tours is approximately 1 to 1.5 miles and should take about 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours to complete. Admission is free. To sign up, call the Nature Center at 321-676-6690.
Playboyz for Cocoa Village Playhouse
Jonas Brothers, Hanson and Backstreet Boys, move over. The Playhouse Playboyz, a local boyband that includes Andrew Meier, Jack Ginn and Brady Fritz, is ready to let go to help Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse with a “fun-raiser” at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 1.
The boys will be joined by some of the leading men of the Playhouse. Join the vibrant party to dance, sing and MMMbop.
Tickets are $20. Purchase at cocoavillageplayhouse.com or by calling 321-636-5050.
Perfectly paired wine dinner in Cocoa Beach
At 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 6, Pompano Grill, 110 N. Brevard Ave., Cocoa Beach, will present a perfectly-paired five-course dinner featuring selections from Chappellet Winery from the eastern hills of the Napa Valley.
Call 321-784-9005 for reservations.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Fireworks in Brevard: Where to see shows on the Space Coast
