Why aren’t you going to Celebrate July 4th on the Marietta Square?
Celebrate July 4 on Marietta Square
6/25/2009
Get in on the fun and celebrate Marietta’s 175th anniversary July 4 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. with an Independence Day parade and celebration on the Square, free live concerts, arts and crafts show, food, carnival games and fireworks finale.
[update] July 4th Parking Details on the Marietta Square
Parade
The Marietta Independence Day parade is scheduled to include 100 entries with 19 floats and approximately 2,000 participants. Entries include marching units from the city of Marietta, civic organizations, beauty queens, scouts and local businesses. The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Roswell St. Baptist Church and travels west on Roswell Street, north on E. Park Square past Glover Park and the Square, down Cherokee Street and ends at North Marietta Parkway.
The parade will be broadcast live on Cobb government channel TV23 at 10:30 a.m. and will be rebroadcast at 6 p.m. the same day. TV23 will replay the parade at 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. July 5-6, 7 p.m. on July 7 and 8 a.m. and noon July 9-10.
Float Contest
The theme for this year’s float contest is “175th Anniversary, Marietta – Celebrating Our Past, Present and Future.” Judges will award prizes in the following categories: theme award (best used theme), judges’ award (most beautiful), salute award (most patriotic), fantasy award (most whimsical), Mayor’s award (most creative), extraordinaire (most outstanding commercial entry), kids’ choice award (kids pick a winner).
The parade and float contest are sponsored by Owens Corning Living Solutions.
Bird’s-eye view of parade
One hundred spectators can have a bird’s eye view of the parade from the Earl Smith Strand Theatre’s rooftop terrace while sipping on a cold drink to help beat the heat. Tickets for the “Bird’s Eye View” are $5 and are available at the Strand’s box office by calling 770-293-0080.
Temporary road closures
Roswell Street and all streets it crosses will be closed for the parade from 9:15 a.m. until the parade concludes around 12:15 p.m. North, South, East and West Park Streets around the Marietta Square will be closed the entire day for the festival.
Traffic management plan and map
Crafts, food and carnival
Arts and crafts show with 90 vendors: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Food concessions: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Carnival games: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; tickets for games available at booths located throughout the park
Entertainment schedule
Stage in Glover Park
Noon – Colgate Country Showdown
2 p.m. – National Bell Ringing
2:15 p.m. – Awards Ceremony
2:30 p.m. – Cobb Wind Symphony
8 p.m. – Peachtree Station
Fireworks
The fireworks display is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. and will be shot from the First United Methodist Church parking lot. KICKS 101.5 FM will broadcast patriotic music during the fireworks. Rain date for fireworks is July 6 at 9:30 p.m.
175th birthday T-shirts and cookbooks for sale
Special T-shirts and cookbooks commemorating Marietta’s 175th anniversary will be on sale from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. during the parade and celebration.The Independence Day T-shirts will be for sale for only $10. Recipes for the cookbook were submitted by city employees and include appetizers, main dishes, breads, vegetables, drinks and desserts. They will be for sale for only $12.
Pet safety tips
The public is encouraged to leave your pets at home so they won’t get hot and won’t get scared by the fireworks. If you bring your pets, remember to get them out of the car to help them stay cool. If you bring pets to the Square, keep them on a leash and pick up after them so they, too, can have a fun, safe holiday weekend. There will be watering stations located around the Square so your pets can get something to drink to help them stay cool.
Sponsors
The Fourth in the Park Festival — the city’s largest annual event — is presented by the city of Marietta and sponsored by KICKS 101.5 FM; Cohutta Mountain Spring Water; TV 23; Marietta Daily Journal & Neighbor Newspapers; Fun Fair; Owens Corning Living Solutions; and Flagstar Bank.
Museums and shopping
The Marietta Welcome Center will be open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. July 4. The Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum be open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art and the Marietta History Museum will be closed. Historic walking tours will be available. Unique shops located around the Square will have special July 4 hours. For details, call the Marietta Welcome Center at 770-429-1115.
City offices closed July 3
City of Marietta administrative offices will be closed July 3 in observance of the holiday.
“Let Freedom Ring” spectacular at Strand
The Earl Smith Strand Theatre July 4th weekend will present “Let Freedom Ring,” a musical salute to the freedom America won in 1776 and liberties that we enjoy today. Patrons can enjoy traditional standards and songs that helped Americans get through the war, and all of the patriotic tunes will be performed with pride. Tickets are $12 and $5 for children five and under, and can be ordered by calling the Strand Box Office at 770-293-0080.
For more information, call Marietta Parks and Recreation at 770-794-5601.
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