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July 4 fireworks show to benefit CARS

Fireworks will once again light up the night sky over Charlottesville and Albemarle County on Monday as the nation celebrates Independence Day.

The display of $30,000 worth of fireworks will be shot off from Carter Mountain, though the event isn’t affiliated with the orchard. Organized by a group of local businesses and individuals, the Celebrate US Charlottesville fireworks show will begin at 9 p.m. Monday.

The group has used property owned by Wendell Wood as the launching point since 2020. Before the pandemic, the show was held in Charlottesville’s McIntire Park. In addition to delighting community members with the eye-catching explosions, the show will benefit the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad (CARS).

Donations are currently being collected to pay for the show. Anything raised beyond what’s needed for the fireworks will be donated to CARS.

“Volunteers from the CARS have been providing EMT service to our community since 1960,” the group said on its fundraising page. “Our highly trained volunteers answer over 6,000 calls annually. At any given time CARS has over 110 active volunteers, who collectively donate over 60,000 hours of service.”

CARS treasurer Clare Ruday said the donations will go toward purchasing equipment and supplies. As of Friday afternoon, a little more than $20,000 had been raised.

Some communities across the country have had to cancel their July 4 fireworks because of supply chain issues. But Ruday said the team behind the show in Charlottesville has secured the necessary rockets.

CBS19 will air the show live at 9 p.m. on MeTV. It will be replayed at 11 p.m. on FOX Virginia.

Monday’s fireworks display will cap a busy holiday weekend in the Charlottesville area.

On Saturday, the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its Independence Day celebration and parade from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Claudius Crozet Park. The parade will begin at 5 p.m. while the event at the park begins at 6 p.m. There will be no fireworks this year.

At the park, there will be a range of food vendors along with bounce houses and activities for children.

Crozet volunteer fire chief Gary Dillon wrote on Facebook that the weather forecast could complicate plans for the event. Currently, there’s a chance of thunderstorms when the parade is slated to begin. The fire department will make a decision Saturday afternoon about the parade and post updates on Facebook.

On Monday morning, more than 45 people will take the oath of citizenship at Monticello’s 60th annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony. This will be the first year since 2019 that the ceremony is in-person and open to the public. According to Monticello, the ceremony is the nation’s oldest continuous naturalization ceremony held outside a courtroom.

The event begins at 9 a.m., and is free to attend. Attendees can park at PVCC and take shuttles to Monticello. The ceremony will be streamed live on Monticello’s Facebook page, website and YouTube account. To learn more about the event, go to www.monticello.org/july4.

Frank Friedman, the retiring president of Piedmont Virginia Community College, will be the ceremony’s keynote speaker. According to PVCC, he’s the first community college president to deliver the keynote address.

“I am honored to be speaking at Monticello on July 4,” Friedman said in a statement. “Past speakers have included five United States Presidents, several Virginia Governors, Collin Powell, Madeleine Albright and multiple Pulitzer Prize winners. The selection of a community college president recognizes the tremendous impact community colleges have on immigrants to our country.”

The Town of Scottsville is having its annual July 4 parade at 9 a.m. Monday, hosted by the Scottsville Volunteer Fire Department. A car show will follow the parade, and then there will be live music from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Dorrier Park, according to an event flyer. Around dusk, a fireworks show over the James River will wrap up the celebration.

Earlysville’s 26th Annual Stupendous July 4 parade kicks off at 10 a.m. Monday. Refreshments will be served along the route and at the Union Church after the parade.

Source: www.dailyprogress.com

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