History with ‘Hud’: The 200-year story behind the NC 4th of July Festival in Southport
SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — Next week marks 247 years since the United States first declared its independence in 1776. The popular NC 4th of July celebration in Southport has been commemorating the occasion for nearly as long.
The annual local event began in the 1790s, known back then as the ‘Festival of Free Men’. Ships in the harbor would shoot their cannons at daybreak and throughout the day, toasting the young nation’s independence.
Southport’s celebration slowly grew from a one-day party into a multi-day event, held each year until the breakout of the Civil War. Organizers temporarily trimmed the event lineup from 1862 through 1865, with only a 13-gun salute being held to mark the historic day.
As the nation transitioned into the 20th century, a variety of unique activities were added to the festival.
By 1925 the fun included a competition involving a greased pole with a purse on top, swimming contests and a greased pig run. After being known by the same title for over 100 years, a new name was assigned to the festival in the 1950s, becoming the ‘Live Oak Festival’.
A parade arrived in 1964, bringing thousands of people downtown to line the streets and wave to participants.
Less than a decade later, a shrimp boat race was organized in the 1970s. But their slow speed and tendency to blow engines quickly eliminated the event after just three years.
It was around this time the title of the festival was changed again for a final time to its current name of the ‘NC 4th of July Festival’.
The fireworks display is one of the most highly-anticipated events of the entire festival, but it didn’t go well in 1973. A barge on the river housing the fireworks saw them all explode at one, causing volunteers to jump overboard, with some not knowing how to swim. Thankfully, everyone survived and the festival’s fireworks have gone smoothly since.
Despite cancellation due to COVID in 2020 and 2021, along with brief delay in 2022 due to Tropical Storm Colin, the festival lives on, drawing 10,000’s of people to Southport each year.
