Celebrate 4th of July at Light Up Arlington and the 2023 Independence Day Parade

*This content was originally published by the City of Arlington and written by Susan Schrock as part of the blog on the City's website.*

Celebrate Independence Day in Downtown Arlington with live music, kid-friendly activities, food trucks, and a spectacular firework display on Monday, July 3 followed by a red, white and blue, fun-filled parade the next day.

Festivities, which are free and open to the public, start at 6 p.m. July 3 at Parks and Recreation Department's 15th annual Light Up Arlington. This year's celebration, which encompasses 64 acres surrounding City Hall and the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library, includes some of the top musical acts in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, vendors, food trucks and plenty of kid-friendly fun.

Bands will perform at four stages around Downtown, starting with 6 p.m. concerts outside the Arlington Music Hall and at "Boomtown" outside of the Grease Monkey restaurant, a 6:30 p.m. concert outside of City Tower at 101 S. Mesquite St., and a 7 p.m. concert at Levitt Pavilion Arlington.

The bubble bus will be returning for the little ones at the Downtown Library. Vendors and at least 20 food trucks, featuring a variety of food and desserts, will be in the Downtown Arlington area.

A Children's Entrepreneur Market will be a new addition to this year's festivities. Through the market, kids gain real-world experience in creating goods, packaging them for sale, attracting customers and handling money. Click here to learn more about the Children's Entrepreneur Market.

The fireworks display, which lasts about 20 minutes, is scheduled to start at 9:50 p.m. and will be set to music on 95.9 The Ranch FM. Fireworks will be shot from the roof of City Tower, which is located east of City Hall. This year’s event is sponsored by Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, Rough Rider’s Restoration & General Contracting, Hiley Mazda & Volkswagen, Downtown Arlington, Levitt Pavilion Arlington, Urban Union, and Sutton Frost Cary LLP.

58th Annual Arlington Independence Day Parade

Light Up Arlington isn't the only way to celebrate Independence Day and show your patriotism in The American Dream City. Head on back to Downtown on Tuesday morning for the beloved Arlington Independence Day Parade, which started in 1965 and is billed as the oldest, longest running event in the city.

Be sure to arrive early for the parade, which kicks off at 9 a.m. Each year, tens of thousands of people line the streets to watch the colorful floats, antique cars, marching bands and other parade entries wind through Downtown.

The theme for this year's parade is “Let Freedom Sing.” The 2023 XFL Champions, the Arlington Renegades, are a special entry in this year’s parade and the Grand Marshal is Arlington's own Allan Petsche.

The parade will be preceded by the new Firecracker 5k at 7 a.m., a certified event that is expected to draw several hundred participants to Downtown. The parade will also feature the newly adopted Independence Day Parade Mascot, Sparky.

 "We're excited to have such a full line-up this year as we celebrate Independence Day in The American Dream City," said Parade Communications Director Will Busby. “Together with the Inaugural Run, our new Mascot, the Arlington Renegades, and Grand Marshal Alan Petsche, the community is sure to experience joy, pride, and a winning spirit as we celebrate our nation and all that unites us!”

Light Up Arlington Tips:

 Free public parking is available throughout Downtown, but visitors need to be aware of some planned parking lot closures and street closures around City Hall, 101 Center and the City Tower. Some streets will close for Light Up Arlington festivities as early as 2 p.m. Monday. Download the Waze app for updated road closures and driving directions.

 Access to and from the 101 Center Parking Garage and parking spots immediately surrounding the building will be strictly prohibited beginning at 2 p.m. until approximately 11 p.m. Any vehicles in the parking garage or in the parking spots surrounding the building will not be allowed to leave once the event has started.

 All vehicles must be removed from the City Tower parking lot by 5 p.m. Monday, July 3. All vehicles left in the lot after 5 p.m. will be towed to the northeast corner of the lot and access to those vehicles will be denied until the firework display is over and the lot has been reopened to the public at approximately 1 a.m. July 4.

 The City Hall parking lot at Pecan and Abram streets will be closed on Monday, July 3. All vehicles must be removed from this lot by 5 p.m. that day to make way for Light Up Arlington activities.

 Look for signage with QR codes during Light Up Arlington for the latest information about events and activities.