Fired up for the Fourth in Suffolk

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the date of Suffolk's "Stars and Stripes Spectacular." The event is Sunday at Constant's Wharf Park & Marina. Concession sales begin at 5 p.m., and fireworks at 9.

What can you do in Suffolk on the Fourth?

Glad you asked: plenty.

You can watch fireworks downtown or in Crittenden/Eclipse. At both sites you can dance to live music and enjoy food concessions. You can have fun celebrating the country's birth and independence.

One thing you can't do, though, is set off your own fireworks display or sell fireworks to others. That's all a red-white-and-blue no-no - and you can bet members of Suffolk's finest will be out Saturday looking for pyrotechnical scofflaws.

The Fire Marshal's Office reminds all Suffolk residents that "the use or sale of fireworks in the city of Suffolk is prohibited by City Code." The National Fire Protection Association says more fires are reported in the U.S. on July Fourth than on any other day, and fireworks make up half of those incidents. Usually, around 2,500 fires are reported, causing more than $30 million in damage.

So leave the fireworks to the experts.

Crittenden/Eclipse

For those who want to witness sky explosions in a more rural setting, head on out to Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 1589 Steeple Drive near U.S. 17 and Eclipse Drive, for its annual Fourth of July celebration in partnership with the Crittenden, Eclipse & Hobson (C.E.&H.) Ruritan clubs.

Festivities begin with 10:30 a.m. opening ceremonies in the church's Family Life Center, followed by the Bicycle and Float Parade at 11:30. Free rides and games are from noon to 3 p.m. A raft race on nearby Chuckatuck Creek commences at 3 p.m. Food sales will go from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m.

If you want to dance off those excess hamburgers and hot dogs, Nate Sparks & The Pamunkey River Ramblers will perform their original "old school" country from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Sparks is a Chesapeake native and West Point resident who, when not working as an education coordinator for students with disabilities, is a noted country singer/songwriter with an international following. Songs from his two CD recordings - "From Where I Stand" (2005) and "Carry On" (2008) - are played on radio and satellite radio stations across the world.

After Sparks lights up the stage with country music sparks, the night sky will light up with a grand fireworks display at 9. Organizers suggest people bring lawn chairs and outdoor blankets.

Downtown Suffolk

If you're in more of a downtown mood, round up the gang and head for the city's "Stars & Stripes Spectacular," organized by the Suffolk Parks and Recreation Department. The action takes place Sunday at Constant's Wharf Park & Marina, 100 E. Constance Road, behind the Hilton Garden Inn and Suffolk Conference Center on the shore of the Nansemond River.

Concession sales begin at 5 p.m. followed by live music from area favorites Island Boy. The sextet began in 1995 and calls itself a "rock and soul party band." The group will get everyone's Independence Day mojo working with plenty of rock, funk, soul, R&B and, with a name like Island Boy, lots of reggae.

The party will culminate with downtown Suffolk's night sky illuminated by its annual fireworks spectacular at 9. It's all free.

Eric Feber, 222-5203, eric.feber@pilotonline.com