Every Fourth of July, thousands of people line Peachtree City’s streets for candy-filled parades, decorate golf carts and cars in red, white and blue, and gather under the night sky for fireworks.
This year, however, the city’s Independence Day celebration will look a little different.
As the nation marks America’s 250th anniversary, Peachtree City is introducing several firsts to its annual Fourth of July festivities, including a drone show, fireworks launched from Lake Peachtree and expanded public access to Drake Field.
“Peachtree City’s Fourth of July celebration is second to none. We are a very patriotic community. We have a strong military presence here. We honor our military throughout the year, but we especially take note on the Fourth of July,” Mayor Kim Learnard said. “People come to Peachtree City by the thousands to help us celebrate every year.”
The city’s annual celebration has become one of its largest community events, drawing between 13,000 and 15,000 spectators to last year’s parade alone. This year, Learnard said, the city wanted to make the celebration even more memorable.
“This year, we have added some special features in honor of the 250th,” she said.
Among those additions is the city’s first drone show, which will precede the fireworks display. The show will feature about 20 scenes, including an image of the Artemis II space capsule based on artwork submitted by a local fifth-grade student through a citywide design contest.
Learnard said another highlight is this year’s parade grand marshal, Major General George Harrison, a decorated Vietnam combat fighter pilot, longtime Peachtree City resident and active member of the Commemorative Air Force.
Behind many of this year’s additions is Recreation and Special Events Director Harold Layton, who said city officials had been looking for ways to expand the celebration for years.
“For years, we’ve wanted to move the fireworks show onto the lake itself to help open up Drake Field so that we could do these things,” Layton said. “We took this opportunity to purchase a loading dock that we could do this from so that, for years to come, we can send the fireworks up from the lake.”
Launching the fireworks from a barge on Lake Peachtree instead of the shoreline will allow residents to enjoy Drake Field during the evening festivities for the first time.
“I’m excited about opening Drake Field up for the residents. We’ve wanted more room, more space for residents to see the fireworks and have a better day on the Fourth of July, and we’re really excited about that opening. Something that’s never been done in the history of our fireworks,” Layton said.
The celebration begins with the annual Fourth of July parade at 9 a.m., with more than 110 entries already registered. Drake Field will open at 1 p.m. for visitors to set out blankets before live music begins at 3 p.m. A Liberty Tree dedication honoring America’s semiquincentennial is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., followed by the drone show at 9:20 p.m. and the fireworks immediately afterward.
Layton said organizers hope the new additions complement the hometown atmosphere that has become synonymous with Peachtree City’s Independence Day celebration.
“The feeling and the sense of pride in the community is awesome. Everyone loves the parade, the hometown feel that we have for the parade, the hometown feel that we have for the fireworks. Everybody comes together and has a good time. You’ll see families get together. It’s just a great sense of community,” he said.
As residents and visitors prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July, Learnard said the holiday remains about more than fireworks and festivities.
“We look forward to another opportunity to come together and celebrate community and patriotism,” she said.
