Happy Birthday, America

In honor of our nation’s birthday, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite 4th of July traditions and memories. We hope you have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Jason (Hale): In my small town in Kentucky we had this fireworks show every year that I thought was so big until I went to a real fireworks show later in life. My grandpa would make such a big deal about this fireworks show and we would picnic and wait for those fireworks all afternoon with our family. One of my favorite childhood memories.

Angel: When I think 4th of July, I think POOL DAY!!!

Jason (Hayes): My family’s traditions include spending the day at the lake, having a big cookout dinner with friends, homemade ice cream for dessert, and a huge fireworks show over the water. And sparklers with the Threads team, of course.

Juliana: My family always gets together at my parents’ house for BBQ and homemade ice cream. Just before it gets dark, we pile in cars, or in my case, on the scooter with my husband, and head to the civic center to listen to live music and watch the fireworks.

Heather: Three words. Bottle. Rocket. Wars.

Lindsey: Our neighborhood has a children’s parade, block party, and potluck. From our hill we can see three town’s fireworks, so we watch together once the shows start. There’s also a small town about an hour away that hosts a jamboree every 4th of July weekend. It’s full of down home spirit, arts and crafts, and enough fair food to last you the rest of the year.

Laura: Growing up, my dad always ran in a 10k every 4th of July morning, so the rest of us would go watch the race and eat doughnuts all morning, in honor of that fact that we weren’t running. We’d end the day with our own “Thunder over Louisiana Ave.” fireworks show. My newest favorite tradition though is the jamboree Lindsey mentioned. As far as small town festivals go, it can’t be beat.

Michael: Every 4th, my small home town has a “fair on the square.” Corn dogs, meat on a stick, trashy antiques—pretty awesome.

Stephanie: I grew up on a lake where the 4th of July was the biggest holiday of the year. Every year they had a “flotilla parade” where people decorated their boats according to some randomly chosen theme (I’ve seen boats transformed into chickens, huge shopping carts, Hawaiian islands) and putt around the perimeter of the lake. As spectators, it was our job to sit on our pier eating the first picking of Indiana Sweet corn and waving like maniacs at the people in the floats. It was the most ridiculous, small-town thing in the world, but it was the highlight of our day as kids. Watching the fireworks over the lake wasn’t too shabby either.