Apalachicola Geared up for Another Spectacular Independence Day Eve Celebration

Both residents of Apalachicola and visitors alike are all geared up and ready for another spectacular Independence Day Eve Celebration and fireworks display this Sunday, July 3rd at Riverfront Park in Historic Apalachicola. 

In its 5th year the celebration and fireworks display are hosted by Historic Apalachicola Main Street with assistance from a host of hard working and dedicated volunteers and community partners.

Beginning at 5:00 - 11:00 p.m., the celebration will consist of live entertainment, a low country boil, wings of freedom, hero hot dogs and beverages will be served.

This year’s entertainment will include, Jhaki & The Gang, a local group performing patriotic music at 5:00 p.m., followed by McCall Chapin, a 16-year-old singer/songwriter from Tallahassee at 5:30 p.m.  Headlining the entertainment will be the Tobacco Road Band at 6:30 p.m. Tobacco Road is a four-piece hard rocking country band formed in Tallahassee in 2010 by CMT touring artist Eric Durrance.

At 6:00 p.m., the lineup for the 12th Annual Red, White and Blue Parade will commence at Lafayette Park. This year the parade will honor Elgin Emerson “Big Red” Sizemore as the Grand Marshall. Sizemore served with the 1275th Small Craft Division in the Navy during World War II, where he escorted American and British ships through the Panama Canal into the Pacific Ocean. After returning to Apalachicola from the war, he joined his father in the family business at Sizemore’s Hardware store.

The parade’s start time is 6:30 p.m., so grab your bicycles, wagons, golf carts, sneakers, whatever your mode of transport, and join your friends as they parade down Avenue D, and under the bridge at Battery Park and down Water Street to Riverfront Park for a free Ice Cream Social at 7:00 p.m.

Both the parade and ice cream social are provided by Franklin’s Promise Coalition and the Crew of the Conservation Corps of the Forgotten Coast. Franklin’s Promise will also be handing out streamers and balloons for everyone to decorate and placards for participants to display the name of their honored veteran. For questions about the parade, decorations and ice cream social, contact Joe Taylor, Executive Director of Franklin’s Promise Coalition at (850)323-0176.

At 8:30 p.m. there will be a Veterans Tribute, with retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, Mark Milliken as the guest speaker. Admiral Milliken is a 1975 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He commanded the aircraft carrier USS Independence and served as Deputy Commander of the US 5th Fleet, with responsibility for command of NATO Maritime Forces and US Naval Central Command during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. His last assignment was as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for International Programs. Admiral Milliken and his wife Elizabeth Zingarelli-Millken moved back to Apalachicola one year ago, after almost 32 years serving our country around the globe.

At 9:00 p.m. the best and award winning fireworks show on the Forgotten Coast will commence. Get ready, because this year will be even greater! Historic Apalachicola Main Street announced earlier, plans for an enhanced fireworks show with a patriotic music soundtrack.