Southport ready for thousands as North Carolina Fourth of July Festival begin
SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Fourth of July Festival is underway in Southport, where thousands of visitors are expected to fill the city throughout the holiday weekend.
From chairs lining the parade route to bleachers set up for spectators and red, white, and blue decorations throughout downtown, the city has spent months preparing for one of the state’s largest Independence Day celebrations.
Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said planning for the festival began months in advance.
“We’ve done some things, you know, we started planning back in February, believe it or not,” said Coring.
To accommodate the expected crowds, the Southport Police Department has increased its officer presence, added extra EMS resources because of the summer heat, and established a centralized command post.
“We have a command post downtown at the waterfront by Oliver’s. Police is there; also, we have a large EMS emergency trailer set up there for command for fire and EMS, so everything is right in the event area,” said Coring.
Law enforcement agencies from Oak Island, Leland, Whiteville and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office are also assisting with security during the festival.
Coring said the additional support is invaluable as Southport hosts one of its busiest weekends of the year.
“It means a lot when the leadership is in town because we are the North Carolina designee festival, the largest festival in this area, so I’m glad that they see it as urgent to come in and help us, so it’s definitely a relief for me as the chief,” said Coring.
Festival President Hugh Fosbury said this year’s celebration features a full schedule of events, including live music, local vendors and the annual Fourth of July Parade.
“Friday is July 3rd, just more of the same. We have a naturalization ceremony, which is a really special event we have here right here on the Garrison Lawn where we welcome a number of new citizens to the country. Then on Saturday, that’s of course, we have the parade in the morning at 11 o’clock. Then we have a couple of cool events right here on the waterfront. We’re going to be having an all-veterans parachute jump landing right here on the waterfront,” said Fosbury.
Festival organizers said their goal is to provide a safe and memorable holiday weekend for everyone who attends.
City leaders encourage visitors to arrive early, stay hydrated, allow extra travel time and be patient with crowds. Information about the festival schedule, parking and traffic is available at Southport Police Department’s Facebook page.
