Many restaurants are closed for Independence Day, but there are still plenty of places in the Triangle to fill up on bites and booze in between barbecues on Thursday. Here’s our roundup of parties, parades, potlucks, festivals, and fundraisers where you can get your eat and drink on this Fourth of July.
RALEIGH
Make the Early Rounds at Raleigh’s July 4th Bar Crawl
All six participating locations in Raleigh’s July 4th Bar Crawl will offer signature drink specials, featuring different styles of music at each, from R&B at The Lynk, to world music at Solas, to whatever today’s Top 40 hits are at Hibernian. Crawlers are asked to wear color-coded attire for the occasion: tequila drinkers wear red, vodka drinkers wear white, and brown drinkers wear blue. The crawl starts at Noir Bar & Lounge at 9:00 p.m. on July 3 and ends at 2:00 a.m. on July 4.
Drink $4 All-American Cans All Day Long at Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
Flying Saucer is selling $4 cans of American-brewed beers while they last on July 4. Try one from a North Carolina-based brewery, like the Watermelon Dragonfruit Burst, a pink sour ale from Asheville’s Wicked Weed Brewing, or the Deep River 4042 Stout, a sweet stout with hints of espresso, dark chocolate, and tobacco, from Deep River Brewing in Clayton.
Savor $5 “Red White and Brew” Specials at PourWorks’ July 4th Party
PourWorks is opening at noon to put on a “Red White and Brew” bash: enjoy $5 drink specials all day, get a free hot dog when you purchase a drink between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m., sober up with some tacos by night starting at 6:00 p.m., then head back inside for a game of trivia at 7:30 p.m.
Go Out with a Bang at 4th of July Fireworks Party at Tra’Li
Tra’Li may be an Irish pub, but it’s embracing American culture with a Fourth of July Fireworks Party from 7:00–10 p.m.—order some food, then watch the fireworks from Tra’Li’s patio while you listen to Cory Luetjen and his Traveling Blues Band.
Shake Your Tailfeather at Alchemy’s Fourth of July Dance Party
Alchemy’s celebration will include drink specials, a free taco cookout, and music from DJ AMHA all night.
Go Vegan—and Actually Have Something to Eat—at a Fourth of July Potluck
For vegans, meat- and mayonnaise-centric Independence Day gatherings can be difficult to navigate. Tired of surviving on lemonade and a few tomato slices from the burger bar? Cook up a plant-based dish and bring it to the Triangle Vegetarian Society’s Vegan Potluck. Or, if you don’t feel like cooking, pick up some black bean patties from Trader Joe’s and slap ’em on the grill at the potluck (the grill has never come in contact with non-vegan food). The potluck starts at 6:00 p.m. at 7337 Fontana Ridge Lane in Raleigh. Organizers ask that attendees label their ingredients and bring their own place settings and serving utensils.
APEX
Have a Good Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration in Downtown Apex
At the Olde Fashioned 4th of July Celebration in downtown Apex, you can spend the morning eating food from local vendors while your kids are entertained by a giant slide, face painting, a karaoke contest, carnival games, and a climbing wall. And during the parade, which starts at the corner of Salem and Chatham Streets at noon, sneak over to Peak of the Vine to enjoy a mimosa in one of three forms—classic, sorbet, or popsicle.
CARY
Hit the Fourth of July Fair at Koka Booth Amphitheatre
How far can you spit a watermelon seed? How much ice cream can you eat, and how many hot dogs? Answer these questions at the July 4th Celebration at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, which will feature contests for those three activities as well as seven hours of other festivities: a Ferris wheel and carousel; music from the North Carolina Symphony and the Cary Town Band; a magic show and paragliding demonstration; and, of course, fireworks. General admission is free to the public—feel free to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics. The event will be from 3:00–10:00 p.m.
DURHAM
Get Into the Hip-Hop BBQ Groove at The Glass Jug Beer Lab
The Glass Jug Beer Lab says that “beats and beef go together like charcoal and fire.” Test out the combination at the brewery’s Hip-Hop BBQ, where they’ll be cranking up the tunes, firing up the grill, and serving up free hot dogs. You can also try Glass Jug’s own citrusy IPA, “It Was Just a Dream,” brewed in collaboration with Durty Bull Brewing Company for the occasion. The brewery will also be accepting donations for the Animal Protection Society of Durham at the BBQ—“so you can help save a real dog while you eat a hot dog.” The BBQ will take place between noon and 4:00 p.m.
Lucky Stars & Stripes 4th of July at the Blue Note Grill
Grab some friends and head over to the Lucky Stars & Stripes 4th of July celebration at the Blue Note Grill, taking place from 6:00–8:00 p.m. Share a rack of slow-smoked baby back ribs or the pimento cheese-smothered “Redneck Cheese Fries,” sip some drinks, and enjoy “lots of fireworks, inside and out.” Alt-country band Lisa R and The Lucky Stars will be playing songs from their upcoming album for your listening and dancing pleasure, and the grill’s patio is the perfect place to watch the fireworks go off in downtown Durham.
Celebrate in the Great Outdoors at the 40th Annual Festival for the Eno
The Festival for the Eno may be known for its musical performances, craft artisans, and hula-hooping, but don’t forget about all the local food trucks and vendors! Eat fried plantains and jerk chicken from Jamaica Jamaica, drink craft beers, wines, and ciders from the North Coast Brewing and Bold Rock Hard Cider, and grab some snacks form D&J Concessions, which will be serving up treats you’d normally find only at the state fair: turkey legs, roasted corn, fried candy bars, and cheesecake on a stick. The festival runs from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on July 4 and 6; click here to purchase a one- or two-day pass online.
Stroll Through Central Park with the Family at the Children’s Independence Day Parade
At 9:30 a.m., bring your bikes, trikes, wagons, strollers, and scooters to the Children’s Independence Day Parade at Durham Central Park and glam them up with items from The Scrap Exchange, who will be providing a spread of festive and funky ribbons, fabrics, and assorted odds and ends for all your decorating needs. Parade through the park at 10:30, then enjoy free popsicles, fire truck tours, and tunes from Durham’s DJ Pittipat.
Do Some Good at Motorco’s Refresh on the Fourth Benefit for Ellerbe Creek Watershed
At Motorco’s Refresh on the Fourth celebration, donate to the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA)—a local nonprofit working to manage water quality and restore native plants and habitats—then partake in some water-based activities. There will be kiddie pools, a water slide, Fish ’n Win (catch a fish and win a prize), and a dunk tank, where you can dunk a local Beaver Queen, politician, or musician. Grab a hot dog hamburger, or corn on the cob from Parts & Labor and crack open a cold one from Foothills Brewing—a portion of proceeds from every beer sold will go to the ECWA. The event runs from noon to 7:00 p.m. at Motorco.
CHAPEL HILL
Get Nostalgic at Preservation Chapel Hill’s 4th of July Celebration
Independence Day is all about commemorating our nation’s history, so what better way to celebrate the holiday than with Preservation Chapel Hill, who has made it its mission to preserve historical buildings and landscapes? The organization is hosting an Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration with free ice cream, lemonade, flags, and patriotic music by The Village Band, a local community concert group comprised of more than fifty members, aged from their teens to their nineties. The celebration will take place on the lawn at The Horace Williams House from 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Get Festive and Watch the Fireworks with a Firecracker Pale Ale in Southern Village
The Carolina Brewery beer van will be pouring their new Red-Raz Raspberry Kolsch and Firecracker Grapefruit Pale Ale (while supplies last) during the fireworks show at Southern Community Park in Southern Village from 6:30–9:30 p.m. Head over to the Southern Village Green early with the kiddos for face painting and enjoy live music from The Allman Brothers tribute band Idlewild South.
CARRBORO
Assemble on the Weaver Street Market Lawn for Carrboro’s July 4th Gathering
Deck yourself out in Independence Day attire and head over to Carrboro’s July 4th Celebration on the Weaver Street Market Lawn at 9:30, where you can make a festive hat, plaster yourself in temporary tattoos, and participate in a costume contest—then march with your fellow competitors in the traditional People’s Parade to Town Hall. From 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., there will be food trucks, live music, face painting, a magic show, a bounce hall, a photo booth, and contests for pie-eating and baby-crawling. At noon, reflect on the history of the holiday during a reading of Frederick Douglass’ famous speech, “The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro,” at the Carrboro Century Center.
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