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Two municipalities in the area will be celebrating the Fourth of July holiday over the upcoming weekend. 

The town of Blounts Creek in the southern portion of the county will hold the Fourth of July Parade at Core Point, an annual event. The parade will take place on Saturday, July 3 at 11 a.m. Lineup for those involved in the parade will be at the end of Down Shore Road at 10:30 a.m. Spectators are encouraged to bring chairs, bicycles, golf carts and wagons decorated to celebrate the holiday. The Core Point neighborhood hosts the parade in conjunction with the Blounts Creek Volunteer Fire Department. The BCVFD will be in attendance at the parade and plan to feature their new fire truck in the parade. 

Across the Pamlico River, the town of Belhaven is planning a multi-day event to celebrate the holiday. The 79th annual Fourth of July celebration began last weekend with the crowning of a new Miss Independence and will continue on July 2, 2021 starting at 2 p.m. with the opening of vendor and concession booths and carnival rides. Events like the first annual Mutt March, the Little Patriots Parade, a hot dog eating contest and street dancing will conclude the celebrations for Friday night. 

On Saturday, July 3, the festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with vendors, concessions and carnival ride opening as well as helicopter rides around town beginning. The horseshoe tournament at the Belhaven Fire Department will begin at 9:30 a.m. A helicopter flyover will take place at 10:55 a.m. to signal the start of the parade, which will begin at 11 a.m. Following the parade, the Down East Rods & Classics Car Show will begin at 12:30 p.m. and Level Up Video Gaming and the Lawnmower Pull will start at 1 p.m. behind the market. The Pantego Volunteer Fire Department mud run will start at 1:30 p.m. along U.S. Highway 264 West. 

Several performances will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. at the Wilkinson Stage and will feature two performances by Dave Rieves and Tom Koch, and one performance from Keane Warren, Chris Gibbs and The Trinity United Methodist Choir. The firework show will begin at 9 p.m. and will be held along the Waterfront in Belhaven. 

“The Town of Belhaven and the Belhaven Police Department would like to inform citizens and visitors of a temporary traffic pattern that will be implemented directly after the conclusion of fireworks, that will be held on July 3rd at 9 p.m. In order to allow for a streamlined flow of traffic, Hwy 99 at U.S. 264 will be blocked off. All downtown traffic will be able to leave via Hwy 264 towards Pantego or Hwy 264 bypass towards Hyde County,” said Lynn Davis, town manager of Belhaven. “For all those that enjoy parking at the boat ramp near the bridge, Main Street access will be blocked off at the beginning of fireworks and traffic will be diverted via the Hwy 99 entrance and then across the bridge. We appreciate your patience and cooperation in this matter as we strive to provide a safe and enjoyable experience during our July 4th celebrations.”  

For more information about the Fourth of July Parade at Core Point, contact Jennifer Smith at 252-341-1114.  For a complete schedule of Belhaven’s festivities, visit belhaven4thofjuly.com.