Celebrate July 4 with Rochester's 4th Fest and Community Band Concert
Rochester residents and visitors have multiple opportunities to celebrate Independence Day and America's 250th anniversary on Saturday, July 4. The City of Rochester and Experience Rochester invite the community to 4th Fest: Rochester Celebrates America, a free, family-friendly celebration from 5-10:30 p.m. at Soldiers Field Memorial Park. Earlier in the day, the Rochester Community Band will present its free "July 4th Concert: Let Freedom Ring!" at the Canfield Amphitheater at Cascade Lake Park.
Event Schedule
Soldiers Field Memorial Park - 244 Soldiers Field Drive SW
Please note that the Soldiers Field Golf Course is not open for fireworks viewing. The front nine of the course will be closed on July 4 for fireworks setup, and the back nine will close at 2 p.m. Soldiers Field Aquatic Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
5-5:45 p.m. | Welcome & Opening Ceremony: Kick off the evening with a community welcome, opening ceremony and special performance by MBI Vibes, a DJ-style drumline, as festivities officially begin at Soldiers Field Memorial Park.
6:30-7:30 p.m. | Opening Performance from J-Mo On The Beat & His J-Lighters: Enjoy live entertainment from a featured opening act as the celebration gets underway.
8-9:45 p.m. | Live Music from Branded Hot Country: The night continues with a live performance from Branded Hot Country, bringing high-energy entertainment and crowd-favorite country hits to the main stage.
10 p.m. | Fireworks Finale: End the evening with a fireworks display lighting up the Rochester sky in a memorable Independence Day finale. The fireworks will be accompanied by music played on-site. Those viewing from elsewhere can tune in to 106.9 KROC to hear the live simulcast.
Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and arrive early to enjoy all the evening's activities and entertainment.
Event updates can be found on the City of Rochester website and Facebook page and the Experience Rochester website.
Parking and Road Closures
Free Parking:
All City and residential side streets, unless marked otherwise.
- 3rd Street Parking Ramp (100 3rd St SW)
- Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial Parking Lot (7th St. SW)
- The entire west half of this lot will be designated as accessible parking.
- Soldiers Field Aquatic Center Parking Lot (Soldiers Field Dr. SW)
- Roy Sutherland Playground Parking Area (Soldiers Field Dr. SW)
- Street Parking (Soldiers Field Dr. SW, George Gibbs Dr. SW)
Closed Areas and Traffic Notes:
- Soldiers Field parking lot across the river (Broadway Avenue South) will be closed on July 4.
- There will be no parking on 2nd Avenue SW from 6th Street SW to 7th Street SW on July 4.
- 2nd Avenue SW will be closed to traffic at 8 p.m.
- After the fireworks, 2nd Avenue SW will temporarily become one-way northbound.
- 3rd Avenue SW from 6th Street SW to 7th Street SW will close at 8 p.m.
Pedestrian Routes:
- The pedestrian path along the east and south sides of the golf course will be closed from 9 p.m. July 4 until the morning of July 5.
- Pedestrians will be directed to sidewalks on the east side of Broadway and the south side of Highway 14 and 12th Street SE
For more information about 4th Fest: Rochester Celebrates America, visit experiencerochestermn.com/blog/post/4th-fest/
Also Happening July 4: Rochester Community Band Concert
The Rochester Community Band will present its free "July 4th Concert: Let Freedom Ring!" at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at the Canfield Amphitheater at Cascade Lake Park, 88 23rd Ave. SW. The concert celebrates America's 250th anniversary and features patriotic and traditional concert band music. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the performance. For more information, visit rochestercommunityband.org.
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