July 2, 2025 | Compiled by Zachary Moss

*The Warren 4th of July parade attracts a large crowd from all around the region. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti*

With Waterbury already having celebrated Not Quite Independence Day with its American Time Machine Theme last weekend, local residents may be looking for nearby July 3-4 parades, festivities and fireworks to attend this weekend.

Here below are highlights of other opportunities to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial around the region. For a more exhaustive list of celebrations around Vermont, see this post by VTDigger.

*Poster courtesy of the Vermont Air National Guard. Click to enlarge*

One set of guests plans to attend numerous celebrations on the 4th, popping for less than a minute in each location. That would be the Vermont Air National Guard, which plans F-35 fighter jet flyovers across Vermont and the Essex-Plattsburgh region in New York state to mark the Independence Day and the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The flights are planned to include four F-35A Lightning II aircraft from the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing based in South Burlington. See the poster for locations and approximate times.

“This is our way of honoring 250 years of American service, sacrifice, and freedom,” said Col. Michael Blair, commander of the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing. “As citizen-airmen, we are proud to represent the people of Vermont while paying tribute to the generations of Americans who have defended our nation since its founding.”

This is the fourth consecutive year for the Air Guard flyover, continuing a tradition to connects airmen with the communities they serve while honoring the nation’s history and those who have defended it. “Even as we mark this historic anniversary at home, many of our Airmen remain deployed overseas,” Blair said. “This flyover is also a tribute to them, their families, and every Vermonter who continues to serve our nation at home and abroad.”

July 3

Burlington

As usual, Burlington will be throwing the largest celebration in Vermont with events taking place at Waterfront Park from 5-11 p.m. on Friday, July 3.

The street band Sambatucada will perform early, at 5 p.m, followed by House on Fire at 6 p.m. Fireworks should begin at 9:30 p.m. and wrap by 10 p.m., with more music from House on Fire.

Food and drink, of course, will accompany the tunes. A special addition this year: an aerial appearance from BETA Technologies aircraft at 8 p.m.

Visitors are encouraged to park at UVM’s Patrick Gym and take a $2 round-trip ride on the Green Mountain Transit shuttle down to the park.

Check out the exact details for food, entertainment, etc. here.

Montpelier

July 8: Reading of the Declaration of Independence

On July 8, a ceremony will be held in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories to read the Declaration of Independence aloud. These events will mark the exact time 250 years ago on July 8, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed throughout the colonies.

In Vermont, community leaders will gather on the Vermont State House Steps for the shared reading, starting at 6 p.m. Lt. Gov. John Rodgers and Secretary of State Sarah Copeland-Hanzas and others will read the declaration aloud—in tandem with readers in the other states and territories.

The Vermont event is organized by the Vermont 250th Commission. The idea for the shared events across the nation came from the Hawai’i America250 Commission.

Vermont’s capital city also holds its Independence Day celebration on Friday, July 3. Montpelier’s events will run from 3 p.m until the fireworks wrap up at 10 p.m. A full schedule with details is online here.

Some highlights: Check out the “Where’s Waldo” scavenger hunt, with 20 participating businesses hiding the familiar striped figure around town. Pick up a game card at Bear Pond Books, the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, or any participating business.

There’s free admission to the 50 for 250 exhibit put on by the Vermont Historical Society Museum at 109 State Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The city pool also is open free of charge from 1-4 p.m., and the Montpelier Fire Department is offering pictures atop their trucks from 3-5:30 p.m. on Main Street.

Ras Burnett and Get Up With It will be performing at Charlie O’s from 5-6 p.m., followed by Red Hot Juba at 7 p.m. More food and music options around town are listed on the Montpelier Alive website.

For the main events: Food trucks lining State Street open at 3 p.m. The Providence Drum Troupe and Family Fest on the State House Lawn start at the same time. Shortly after, listen to the acclaimed student band MINC at 3:30 p.m. on the State House lawn and the Capital City Band from 5-6 p.m. on the Supreme Court lawn.

Local runners can get in a quick family-friendly race when the Montpelier Mile starts off in front of M&T Bank/the Vermont History Museum at 6 p.m. The Independence Day parade immediately follows at 6:15 p.m.

After the parade and ahead of the 9:30 p.m. fireworks, Dave Keller with Johnny Rawls will play the Main Stage. Fair Sparrows are set to lead the national anthem at 9:25 p.m.

For more details, Montpelier Alive online has schedules, logistics and more.

July 3-4

Williston

On the 3rd, Williston’s two-day celebration kicks off with the Deb Beckett Memorial 5K Run/Walk. Check-in and registration start at 7:30 a.m., with starting times going from 8:30-9:15 a.m. Held at Williston Central School, the Friends of the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library Book Sale runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Over on the Village Green, check out the Ice Cream Social and Town Band concert, both starting at 6:30 p.m.

On the 4th, the Independence Day parade starts at 10 a.m, from U.S. 2/Williston Road, marching west from Johnson’s Farm to Old Stage Road.

Activities on the Village Green will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Book Sale continues, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Stovepipe Schoolhouse, Old Brick Church House, and Fire Department will be hosting open houses. (See details on the event website.)

Evening celebrations will run from 6 to 9 p.m., with food, activities and entertainment all located at the Village Community Park. Northern Comfort Band will provide the tunes. The fun comes to a close with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. at the Village Community Park.

Two shuttles by SSTA on the 4th will be running from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., one each transporting riders from Allen Brook School and the parking lot by Shaw’s.

Find all of the details on the Williston Recreation & Parks website.

July 4

Warren

Warren hosts its 76th Independence Day Parade this year with the theme Resistance is Revolutionary: 1776-2026.

Mad River Valley Rotary organizers promise a “wild, wacky and wickedly fun” parade. This year’s grand marshal is Lisa Loomis, editor and publisher of The Valley Reporter newspaper, joined by current and past staff and contributors and honoring former publisher Patricia Clark, who passed away on June 1.

The parade begins at 10 a.m. with a cannon boom. Those looking to enter a float or group need not register in advance – just be sure to arrive by 8:30 a.m. at the south end of Warren Village’s Main Street. Warren is also on the schedule for a Fourth of July flyover from the Vermont Air National Guard, timed to take place at 11:02 a.m.

The Buddy Badge tradition continues, where a $1 donation gives attendees the challenge of finding their matching Buddy Badge number to win a pair of prizes. Sponsored by WDEV Radion Vermont, the badges will be available on either end of town. Proceeds help cover the cost of the day’s events.

By about 11:15 a.m., the parade will be winding down, giving attendees the option to shift their attention to music. The Grift will be playing at the Warren Store porch; Jewel House, featuring natives Colton Holter and his family, and Eli Leppla, will set up in the municipal lot behind the fire station.

*Mad River Valley libarians, with a choreographed book-cart routine, are a favorite in the Warren July 4 parade. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti*

Also at 11:15, head to the Warren School’s Brooks Field for kids’ activities, food and live music by Phineas Gage. A magician show is set for 1 p.m. and the list of activities is long: a bounce castle, inflatable water park, face painting, sack races with prizes, gymnastics activity area, free play field games (frisbee, kite flying, etc.), a craft tent with supplies to make bracelets, hats, crowns. And creemees. Those events should wrap up around 3 p.m.

A note on food: The Warren Store will have breakfast sandwiches and pastries in the morning, followed by flatbreads, smoked brisket and pulled pork sandwiches with house coleslaw, burgers, dogs and artisan sausages, in addition to grab-and-go sandwiches and salads. Other food vendors in the village and at Brooks Field will include the Mad River Valley Rotary tent (with hot dogs, Italian sausage, veggie wraps, drinks,chips), Lawson’s Finest Beer Garden run by the Waterbury Rotary, Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream, Samosa Man, Flip Bar (smoothies), Grace’s Tamale, and Bliss Ridge Vermont (popsicles, etc.).

Reminders: July 4 merch (hats, shirts) will be available from the Mad River Valley Rotary. No outside alcohol is allowed in the village. Organizers discourage attendees from bringing dogs and they ask all to please take No Parking signs seriously to allow access for emergency services.

To avoid congestion and long walks from parking, the Mad Bus will shuttle travelers from parking at Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak to Covered Bridge Road/Vermont 100. The free shuttles will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More activities are happening at Sugarbush this weekend. A highlight will be fireworks at Lincoln Peak starting at approximately 9:15 p.m. Find more details online at madrivervalley.com/4th and at sugarbush.com.

Stowe

Events downtown may draw the crowds, but the folks in the Moscow section of Stowe take their July 4 celebration seriously. The “World’s Shortest Parade,” as locals like to call it, begins at 10 a.m.; Grace Bible Church hosts the free party immediately following with food, games and activities for all ages. The Stowe Reporter notes there will be free ice cream at the parade, and complimentary hot dogs and hamburgers will be served at the post-parade picnic.

Meanwhile, other festivities will be getting underway downtown during the day and from 6 to 9 p.m. at Mayo Field for Stowe’s Old-Fashioned Fourth of July.

A slew of events kick off at 10 a.m.: Live music from Mandolin Hank; a book sale and petting zoo at the Stowe Free Library; food vendors at a new food court at Straw Corners; artisan vendors will line Park Street.

At 10:45 a.m., the pie-eating contest will kick off just before the World’s Shortest Marathon in remembrance of Lt. Ryan Casey at 11 a.m. The foot race will begin at the Stowe Rec Path’s downtown entrance. The Main Street parade will arrive downtown at noon. Following the parade, catch a dance party at town hall from 1-2 p.m.

From 6-9 p.m., find food and music at the Mayo Events Field until dusk. Fireworks will launch at 9:30. More information: stowevt.gov.

Richmond

Volunteer’s Green will host Richmond’s Red, White + Community-themed celebration this year.

Food trucks and vendors will be open from 11 a.m. until dusk, when fireworks should begin around 9:15 p.m.

In between, a Fun Run happens at 10:30 a.m., followed immediately by the parade from 10:35 to 11 a.m. There will be cash prizes for floats!

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., hit the green for games, raffles, food; music starts at 1:30 p.m.

For more details, check out the flyer here.

July 3-4: Pick a nearby celebration to mark the semiquincentennial

July 3

July 3-4

July 4

Find jazz and much more at TURNmusic in July

Obituary: Janet Smith DiBlasi