A concert at Tampa Bay Downs, a patriotic water ski show, plus an Independence Day parade and fireworks in nearby Safety Harbor highlight the July 4th holiday weekend in Oldsmar.
If there’s one thing you can count on on the Fourth of July in Florida, it’s that it will be hot.
Very, very hot.
Oh, and it’ll probably rain, too.
In fact, Mother Nature seems to repeatedly play a cruel trick on Independence Day revelers in the Sunshine State, bringing torrential showers—usually right before the fireworks are set to go off—pretty much every year.
For those reasons, and probably more, the City of Oldsmar doesn’t host any special activities on the Fourth of July, according to Mayor Doug Bevis.
“The Fourth of July is always hot, and it always rains,” Bevis told Oldsmar Connect.
“That’s why we don’t host anything here in Oldsmar, because people don’t want to stand outside in the middle of the summer, and they don’t want to get soaked. I know I don’t!”
While the city may not host any official Independence Day festivities, that doesn’t mean nothing’s happening in town this holiday weekend.
On Friday, July 1, the Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce kicks off the celebration with the Summer Festival of Racing and Music.
The event, which begins at noon at Tampa Bay Downs, will feature live racing all day as well as concerts by local favorites the Black Honkeys and Soul Circus Cowboys beginning at 6:00.
Tickets cost $5.00 for general admission and $10 for VIP seating. Visit utbchamber.com for more information.
On Saturday, July 2, the world-renowned Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team will host its annual patriotic themed show at its home base at Tower Lake on Burbank Road.
Representatives for the team, which has been around for more than 40 years and performed at events all around the globe, said their Independence Day shows are always immensely popular.
“The patriotic themed shows are very popular with our audiences,” Vickie Wilmouth, publicity director for the team, told Oldsmar Connect last year.
“We do them during Memorial Day weekend, on July 4th and around 9/11, and they always draw great crowds.”
The shows begin on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and are free to the public. For more information, visit tampabaywaterski.com.
On Sunday and Monday, many businesses, as well as civic and governmental offices in Oldsmar, will be closed.
But there are plenty of Fourth of July festivities taking place right next door on Monday, July 4, as Oldsmar’s next door neighbor, Safety Harbor, will hold its annual 4th of July parade in the morning and the massive fireworks display in the evening.
Now in its 8th year being hosted by the Auxiliary Unit of American Legion Post 238, the parade features hundreds of vehicles and floats, plus politicians, members of dozens of teams, charities and other organizations, not to mention clowns, classic cars and more.
After taking a few hours off to cool down, the city’s Fourth of July Celebration presented by Blake Real Estate kicks off at 5:00 p.m., with the always-spectacular fireworks display set for 9:00 pm., rain or shine.
That last part is the main reason why Mayor Bevis will most likely remain in Oldsmar on Monday.
“I’ll probably watch the fireworks in Safety Harbor from somewhere on the water right here in Oldsmar,” he said.
“That way when it rains, I’m already home!”
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