Thu 7/4
Of course, the number one activity on July 4 fireworks. And Downtown Cleveland Inc. is bringing back Cleveland’s big Light Up the Lake fireworks show. With the display being launched from near the mouth of the river, you can watch from the Flats, Voinovich Park on East 9th, Whiskey Island, Wendy Park or Edgewater Park. Views from the east, from the East 55th Street Marina on, aren’t so great — very distant —but in our experience you’ll see plenty of amateur fireworks on the other side of the Shoreway. We even saw people setting up chairs along Lakeshore off MLK and at East 72nd Street to watch those. It’s another reminder that amenities are for downtown and the affluent near west side, while east siders have to make their own fun. The show starts after sunset, around 10pm and lasts 20 minutes. The amateur show probably goes on all day,
downtowncleveland.com/holiday-celebrations
You can also head FAR east, all the way to Geneva-on-the-Lake for the annual fireworks show at the Municipal Golf Course. They also start after dark and the gold course itself is the best place to see them. Come early, spend the day, indulge in lots of junk food, play minigolf, riddle the ferris wheel, rent a Jetski or kayak, or try Lake Erie Canopies Zipline for some spectacular views, and conclude the day with the fireworks show.
visitgenevaonthelake/fourth-of-july-fireworks/
Or you can spend the earlier part of the day in nearby Madison Village, where the Madison Village Outdoor Market and Concert in the Park will be going on at the east side of Village Square Park (33 E. Main Street, Madison) from 11AM-3PM. It features a variety of local vendors with crafts, produce and more. Thunder Creek plays from noon-2:30pm
Madison-Village-Outdoor-Market
Fireworks aren’t the only fun available on July 4. Surprisingly, there are a number of area attractions open. The Greater Cleveland Aquarium will be open from 10am-5pm with, as some joker in their p.r. department put it, “RED-bellied piranha, WHITE cloud minnows & BLUE-headed wrasse.” Active-duty military, veterans and first responders get free admission all weekend (July 4-8) with badge or ID. That includes nurses, doctors and dispatchers.
greaterclevelandaquarium.com/event/fourth-of-july-weekend/
Also open: Holden Arboretum in Kirtland from 9am to 3pm and the Cleveland Botanical Garden from 10am-3pm (CBG’s Children’s Garden will be closed until the 5th for some renovations, but there’s plenty else to see and do.
There’s a type of fireworks some of us find even more captivating than the big explosions: the little flickers put out by fireflies. If that’s you come to Munroe Falls Metro Park’s Tallmadge Meadows Area from 8:30-10pm
for a display of bioluminescent fireworks. They offer the chance to learn more about fireflies through various activities, and then go out and catch some for close examination. There’ll also be sparklers! Bring your own flashlight and bug jar. For information, call 330-865-8065.
Cleveland, OH 44113
Kirtland, OH 44094
Cleveland, OH 44106