Celebrate Fourth of July with outdoor activities

The Fourth of July holiday is less than a week away and a number of Tennessee State Parks, including several in East Tennessee, are serving up a variety of outdoor activities for the whole family.

David Crockett Birthplace State Park will keep the celebration going all weekend long with a full slate of festivities on tap from July 4-7. The park, located in Limestone, commemorates the birthplace of pioneer, soldier and politician David Crockett.

Holiday activities will begin Thursday with Hello, U.S.A., a guided stroll along the riverbank offering a look at the American Revolution through the eyes of the first Appalachian settlers. Visitors can then gather at the camp store at 6 p.m. to make patriotic suncatchers.

On Friday, there’ll be bottle-rocket crafts to create park-friendly fireworks at 5 p.m. at the camp store followed by live music by the Greeneville Swing Band at 7 p.m. at the camp store pavilion. Admission is free; no ticket is required. Visitors who aren’t camping should plan to park in the playground or pool parking lots.

On Saturday, festivities will begin at Pavilion No. 2 near the playground with field-day games at 10 a.m. and the park’s watermelon-eating and seed-spitting contest at noon.

The annual Freedom Fire Flintlock Competition runs from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday (July 6) at the Black Powder Range. Participants will test their marksmanship in the third black powder competition of the season. Registration ($10) is required to compete. Spectator admission is free.

Competitors are required to wear late 18th century through early 19th century attire and must use flintlock-actioned rifles, fowlers or muskets. Registration is available online at https://reserve.tnstateparks.com/register/freedom-fire-flintlock-competition-2024.

A campground parade, featuring decorated wagons, bikes, strollers and dog leashes, is scheduled for 5 p.m. Need help getting ready? There’s a parade prep session at 4:30 p.m. at the camp store with decorative materials provided. Saturday’s festivities will wrap up with a s’mores campfire at 8:30 p.m. at the Sacred Shoals Campfire Ring on the north end of the campground.

On Sunday (July 7), guests can enjoy fresh bread from the outdoor oven at the homestead from noon to 2 p.m. as they learn about the meals of that time period.

Rocky Fork State Park will host an Independence Day hike to White Oak Flats on July 4 from 9-11:15 a.m. It is a moderate 3-mile hike with some incline. Bring water and snacks, and dress for hiking (including closed-toe shoes) and for the weather. Meet at the Rocky Fork parking lot interpretative fire pit.

Warriors’ Path State Park will host a variety of free patriotic activities for all ages on July 4. A Good Morning USA Walk, a leisurely stroll on the campground’s trails, will kick things off at 9:30 a.m. followed by Fourth of July rockets crafts at the main bath house at noon and patriotic games at the Open Air Chapel at 2 p.m. There’ll be more crafts at the main bath house at 5 p.m. to create cards for those who’ve served our country. Parade prep gets underway at 6 p.m. Guests can decorate wagons, bikes, strollers and more for the 7 p.m. mini parade. The campground parade starts at the main bath house.

It’s important to note that fireworks, firecrackers and other related items are not permitted in Tennessee State Parks.

Elsewhere...

Area lakes and rivers will also provide the backdrop for a number of local Independence Day celebrations. To add yours to the list for the July 3 edition, email carmen.musick@therogersvillereview.com by Sunday at 4 p.m.

The Watauga Lake Fourth of July boat parade, led by TWRA, begins July 4 at 12:45 p.m. at Watauga Lake Dam and passes by the banks of the beach area and Watauga Point Recreation Area on its way to the Butler Bridge. Local residents are invited to watch or participate.

The Observation Knob Fireworks Extravaganza runs July 4-6 with a boat and camper show, craft vendors, food trucks and more each day. On July 4, festivities run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and also include a golf cart parade at 5:30 p.m. On July 5, festivities run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and include kids’ inflatables and miniature golf (2-8 p.m.), a corn hole tournament (3-6 p.m.), a concert by Ryan Norton (6-9 p.m.) and fireworks (at approximately 10 p.m.). On July 6, there’ll also be a corn hole tournament (3-6 p.m.) and a concert featuring Asylum Suite (6-10 p.m.). The gate fee is $5 per car. Entrance gates close at 8 p.m. each day.