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For the first time since 2019, Fourth of July fireworks are poised to light up the Baltimore skyline Monday.
A variety of events and musical performances in and around the Inner Harbor will precede the show, and Mayor Brandon Scott has pledged to kayak into the harbor for the celebration.
Here’s what you need to know:
The schedule
8:30 a.m. – American Visionary Art Museum pet parade registration begins
9 a.m. – Free AVAM pet parade begins
1 p.m. – The free, Black-led Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival begins at Middle Branch Park, featuring live music, food trucks, exhibits, vendors, and a massive fireworks show at night overlooking the Patapsco River. This year’s theme is Tubman 200: a celebration of the bicentennial of Harriet Tubman’s birth.
1:05 p.m. – First pitch of the Orioles vs. Texas Rangers at Camden Yards, preceded by a “Star-Spangled Banner” performance from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
4 p.m. – U.S. Navy Band Commodores perform at the Harborplace Amphitheater. The performance will be 2.5 hours with a brief intermission.
6:30 p.m.– Local food trucks will be available at West Shore Park by the Visitors Center between concerts, in addition to other performers and vendors along the promenade.
7:30 p.m. – Wordsmith will deliver a spoken word performance of “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” by Frederick Douglass at the BGE Pavilion at Rash Field Park.
8 p.m. – The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s free Star-Spangled Celebration concert begins at Rash Field Park.
9:30 p.m. – Fireworks begin in the Inner Harbor and at Middle Branch Park
Transit and parking
O’s fans who park at Camden Yards for Monday’s game will be able to leave their cars in the stadium lots and head over to the Inner Harbor to watch the show at no extra charge, city officials said in May.
The light rail, which includes a stop at Camden Yards, will be operating for one hour after the fireworks display, according to a news release from the Maryland Transit Administration. CityLink and LocalLink buses, as well as the metro, will be operating on the Sunday and holiday schedule. As for commuter buses, only the #201 will be running on a weekend and holiday schedule. The MARC Camden Line will not be in operation July 4, nor will the Brunswick line, but the Penn line will run on a Saturday schedule.
A number of road closures will be in effect downtown, starting at 8:30 p.m. Drivers heading eastbound on Conway Street toward northbound I-395 will be diverted north on Howard Street. Pratt Street will be closed at Charles Street, Lombard Street will be closed at President Street, and cars will be diverted to other routes. Light Street will be closed between Lombard and Lee streets. Parking in certain areas downtown will also be restricted from 3 p.m. to midnight. Visit the Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s website for more information.
The view
The fireworks downtown will be set off from two barges in the Inner Harbor, and will be best visible from the promenade along the water, or in Federal Hill, Fells Point, Harbor East, Locust Point or Canton. A previously scheduled fireworks viewing opportunity on the Top of the World level of the Baltimore World Trade Center has been canceled, said Barbara Hauck, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.
The forecast
The current forecast for Baltimore on Monday, July 4, is mostly sunny with a high near 87 degrees. The rain date for the Inner Harbor fireworks is July 5 at 9:30 p.m.
Your own show?
Consumer use of fireworks and sparklers is illegal in Baltimore City, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, and in Ocean City. In other jurisdictions in Maryland, certain ground-based and handheld sparklers are allowed, but a permit from the state fire marshal is required for anything beyond that. A list of the permits issued so far this year is available here.
The sale of fireworks is legal in neighboring states, including Pennsylvania. However, it is illegal to purchase fireworks in other states and ignite them in Maryland.
Shows outside the city
For Baltimore County, Towson’s annual Fourth of July parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. Monday. It’s preceded by a 4-mile run and 1776 (feet) Family Fun Run. The 4-miler, beginning at 8:15 a.m., winds through the parade route, onto Towson University’s campus and back to the parade reviewing stand in front of the Towson courthouse.
A fireworks show will be held at 9:20 p.m. on the Loch Raven Academy’s lower field in Towson. Other fireworks displays in the county include a 9:15 p.m. display at Catonsville High School and a 9:20 p.m. display at Grange Elementary School in Dundalk.
For information about Fourth of July celebrations in Anne Arundel County, click here.
For Harford County, click here.
Baltimoreans heading “down the ocean” for the Fourth this year should note that Ocean City’s fireworks shows July 4 have been canceled. In a news release, the city said the contracted fireworks company told officials that it didn’t have adequate staff to host the events as expected. The city is hosting an Independence Day concert July 3 at Northside Park, featuring a condensed fireworks celebration, and another concert July 5 featuring American Idol contestant Jay Copeland. Also on July 5, the city will set off a fireworks show downtown, best visible from the beach between the amusement pier and 3rd Street.
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