New Orleans City Park is throwing its free Happy 3rd of July community bash on Friday, taking over the Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn from 6 to 9:15 p.m. The night wraps with a fireworks show over the Peristyle at about 9 p.m., with organizers touting a beefed-up slate of local music and vendors to keep the crowd busy until the first rocket goes up.
What’s On Stage
“City Park has always been a place where New Orleanians come together to celebrate, reflect, and create lasting memories,” CPC President & CEO Rebecca Dietz said, according to City Park Conservancy. Live music kicks off at 6 p.m. and the lineup runs local and loud, with Girls Play Trumpets Too, Alexis & the Sanity, The New Orleans Mystics and the Marine Forces Reserve Rock Band taking the stage ahead of the fireworks.
Food, Vendors and the Semiquincentennial
The celebration is free to attend, but there will be plenty to spend a few bucks on. Vendors will be out selling beer, seltzers, wine and snacks, with booths slated to include Chick-fil-A, Dat Dog, French Truck Coffee, Hubig’s Pies, Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls and La Cocinita, according to New Orleans CityBusiness. Organizers say the gathering also connects to the nation’s semiquincentennial, a nod to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Attendees are urged to bring blankets or lawn chairs and to get there early to stake out a good spot on the Great Lawn.
Membership Perks and Shaded Lounges
Friends of City Park members will have access to dedicated restrooms at City Putt, and a Liberty Lounge presented by Southern Eagle will provide shaded seating and beverage service for guests, according to the park’s announcement. Sponsorship packages offer reserved space, complimentary beverages and indoor restroom access for groups that reserve in advance, per City Park Conservancy.
Plan Your Visit
Happy 3rd of July is one of City Park’s signature summer events and lands in the middle of an already packed holiday weekend across New Orleans. New Orleans CityBusiness notes that the park draws roughly 16 million visits a year, which helps explain why the Great Lawn can feel especially tight during big gatherings.
If you go, organizers recommend packing water, sunscreen and low-slung chairs, and leaning on carpooling or transit, since parking in and around City Park can be limited on major event nights.
For the full schedule and any last-minute updates, check the city’s Fourth of July listings on NewOrleans.com or the City Park calendar. Happy 3rd of July gets underway Friday evening on the Great Lawn, so bring a blanket and be ready for a crowd.
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