Fort Jackson offers free Independence Day festivities

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COLUMBIA — If you are looking for something free to do on July Fourth, Fort Jackson may have you covered.

The Independence Day celebration at the Army training installation outside Columbia is open to the public , not just to people with military identification. Free festivities include carnival rides, live music and fireworks.

Misting stations will help cool things down on a day when temperatures are expected to approach a high of 100 degrees. Food and beer trucks will offer refreshments.

The event begins at 4 p.m., with the music starting at 6 p.m. and fireworks around 9 p.m.

Accessing a military base for civilians does involve restrictions. For example, don’t bring cameras, alcohol, pets, weapons or camping tents to the festivities.

But the Fourth of July is not the only time civilians can take advantage of the resources at the Fort.

The Palmetto Falls Water Park at Fort Jackson is open to civilians. Visitors should enter at Gate 2. Adults have to present a picture ID and pass a background check to enter.

Many of South Carolina’s military installations offer a range of recreational opportunities, including bowling, camping, skeet shooting, golf and more. In most cases, however, access is available only for military service members, veterans and other authorized personnel.

Shaw Air Force Base, for example, hosted an Independence Day celebration on Saturday, but limited attendance to those who already had access to the base, according to information on the base’s social media page.

Joint Base Charleston, Parris Island and McEntire Joint National Guard Base are not holding public July Fourth celebrations and do not have other recreational opportunities that are open to civilians, according to public affairs representatives of those installations.

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