A viewers guide to Hampton Roads' Fourth of July

View Independence Day fireworks at any of our region’s displays this weekend, and ooh and ahh en masse. Or watch the sky light up from the relative privacy of a neighborhood street, the top of a building, or a park bench near the water.

We have all the information you need to create your own festive celebration of our nation’s birth.

FIREWORKS DISPLAYS

Here’s a look at fireworks celebrations around Hampton Roads:

Find the following fireworks displays on our interactive Google Map.

1.  Norfolk Tides baseball post-game fireworks, Tides vs. Charlotte Knights. Game time: 7:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Harbor Park, 150 Park Ave., Norfolk. 622-2222.

2. Patriotic pyrotechnics, 9:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Busch Gardens, 1 Busch Gardens Blvd., Williamsburg. (800) 343-7946.

3. Under the Stars Concert and Fireworks, music by the U.S. Fleet Forces Band plus a fireworks finale. 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Chesapeake City Park, 900 Greenbrier Pkwy., Chesapeake. 382-6411.

4. Fourth of July Great American Picnic & Fireworks, music (The Fleet Jazz Ensemble at 6 p.m. and The Fleet Forces Wind Ensemble at 8 p.m.), fireworks (9:30 p.m.), games, food and more. 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday at Town Point Park, Waterside Drive, Norfolk. 441-2345. www.festevents.org.

5. July 4th Celebration, with music by Blackbird Pond and Fleet Forces rock band Four Star Edition, children’s activities, festival foods, fireworks (9:30 p.m.) and more. 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday at Mount Trashmore Park, 310 Edwin Drive, Virginia Beach. 385-2990.

6. Stars & Stripes Explosion, music and more Sunday at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Music: 4IIC (8  p.m. 17th Street stage), Sol Libre (2:30 p.m. 24th Street), Symphonicity with the Virginia Beach Chorale and the Doorway Singers (8 p.m. 20th Street) and Bruce in the U.S.A. (8 and 9:30 p.m. 31st Street). Fireworks launched from a barge off 20th Street at 9:30 p.m. 491-7866. www.beachstreetusa.com.

7. The Shore Thing Concert and Independence Day Celebration, music (The Janitors at 6 p.m.), fireworks (9:30 p.m.) and more. 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday at Ocean View Beach Park, 111 W. Ocean View Ave., Norfolk. 441-2345. www.festevents.org.

8.  Cradock’s Patriotic Salute & Children’s Bike Parade, children’s bike parade at 5 p.m. Sunday at Afton Parkway and George Washington Highway in historic Cradock, Portsmouth. Followed by a flag ceremony, music and more at the gazebo in Afton Square. 515-3739.

9. Fourth at the Fort, music, children’s activities, food and more from 5 to 11 p.m. Sunday at Walker Airfield, Fort Monroe. Music by Jimmy Wayne and Emily West. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m. 788-3151.

10.  “A Salute to the States” Sunday featuring the Williamsburg Militia and Colonial Williamsburg’s Fifes and Drums with musket and cannon salutes (10 a.m.), Reading of the Declaration of Independence (12:30 p.m.), fireworks (9:15 p.m.) and more. Colonial Williamsburg. (800) HISTORY. www.history.org.

11. July Fourth Celebration, opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. Sunday, bicycle and float parade at 11:30 a.m., rides and games from noon to 3 p.m., raft race at 3 p.m., music (The Last Exit and Nate Sparks) at 6:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m. Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 1589 Steeple Drive, Suffolk. 238-2359.

Other Independence Day Events

- Patriots’ Day, music, craft demonstrations, games, food and more. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Naval Shipyard Museum, 2 High St., Portsmouth. 393-8591.

- Fourth of July Celebration, parade, music, food, children’s activities and more. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Lakeside Park, 1441 Bainbridge Blvd., Chesapeake. Music by F.A.B. 382-6411.

- Salute to the Union, featuring a 50-gun salute at 11:55 a.m. Sunday at Continental Park, Fort Monroe. 788-3151.

- Independence Day 5K Run/Walk, Mile Run, 5K Pump ’n Run and Tot Trot, 7:30 a.m. Sunday at Mount Trashmore Family YMCA, 4441 South Blvd., Virginia Beach. 456-9622.

Find more Independence Day events.

– Compiled by Roy Bahls, The Pilot

OUR SECRET SPOTS

 Dozens of Pilot employees suggested other, less obvious viewing areas:

Want a postcard view? Climb to almost any rooftop or parking deck top in downtown Norfolk to catch a sweeping vista and watch the lights play over the city skyline and waterfront. Bring a chair and a beverage. Add your own music. Relax. Leave the traffic delays for the workweek.
– Louis Hansen, The Pilot

The Pagoda and Oriental Garden in Norfolk’s Freemason neighborhood. It’s off West Tazewell, which puts the location slightly away from Town Point Park, but close enough that you feel part of the action. Grab a bench or sit on the steps by the water and people-watch as you wait for the fireworks to start. Some condominiums stand between you and the park, but the fireworks are high enough in the sky that you don’t notice. Plus there’s a nice view of Portsmouth across the water.
– Deirdre Fernandes, The Pilot

The view from the other side  Lots of folks enjoy the fireworks and a nice view of Norfolk from across the water in Portsmouth’s Olde Towne. – Michelle Washington, The Pilot

Plum Point Park along the Elizabeth River in Norfolk’s West Ghent provides close-up views of the downtown fireworks. Driving there is a challenge – there’s no parking. But walking or biking make access easy: Just follow the Elizabeth River Trail, either from Southampton Avenue in the Freemason neighborhood or from an opening off Claremont Avenue just off Redgate Avenue.
– Tim McGlone, The Pilot

Trashmore from a distance  Some people park at the old Kmart lot on Holland Road to watch the Mount Trashmore displays, some setting up lawn chairs or sitting on the roofs of their cars. The spot is great for avoiding the tangle of traffic on Independence Boulevard.
– Danielle Walker, Inside Business

Suffolk sights  Folks who live in Suffolk’s Eclipse/Crittenden community can walk to their favorite viewing spot toting lawn chairs. People like us, who drive in from other locations, park near the Ebenezer United Methodist Church or the community swimming pool. If you drive to the end of the road afterward, it’s sometimes possible to see Newport News’ fireworks in the distance.
– Diane Tennant, The Pilot

Get out on the water. Take a cruise from downtown Norfolk on the Victory Rover or American Rover, or head out on your own craft.
 – Danny Varghese, accounting

On the beach in Willoughby you can see Hampton, Newport News, Virginia Beach and Ocean View’s fireworks. Private homes on the beach put on some pretty spectacular fireworks displays as well. Or check out the beaches in Ocean View, at one of the public parks on the Bay.
– Laura Henderson, Portfolioweekly.com, and Tammy Lindquist, Tidewater Parent

MAKE IT COUNT

Tips on how to photograph fireworks:

1. Place your digital camera on a tripod or solid surface

2. Turn off the flash

3. Select manual control if possible

4. A shutter speed of one second or longer would be best to capture the fire burst. If your camera has a nighttime setting, try it.

5. No camera options? Just point and shoot and hope for the best.

– Bill Kelley III, The Virginian-Pilot

FIREWORKS MAP

View Fourth of July Fireworks (2010) in a larger map