North Carolina 4th of July Festival

Every year in July, the entirety of North Carolina looks to the coast for the ultimate independence day celebration experience. The North Carolina Fourth of July Festival in Southport is almost a full week of festivities, attended by more than 60,000 people each year.

Independence Day Fireworks

Sponsored by The City of Southport

Up Your Arts has been responsible for managing the daytime music program of the festival during the last four years. In 2020, UYA navigated the special circumstances brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and augmented the festival’s traditional entertainment schedule by inviting local musicians to perform in Southport venues not previously included in the list of official 4th of July activities.

In 2021, UYA again brought local talent and venues center stage by scheduling performances in Middleton Park on Oak Island, American Fish Company, Southport Tap and Cellar, the Tiki Tavern, and Southport Coffee Co. & Kitchen (then Moore Street Market).

In 2022, the list of performers expanded to almost 30 different acts spread throughout Southport and Oak Island. Also that year, all the previous year’s venues joined American Fish to become official festival sponsors.

Now in 2023, after being appointed by the 4th of July festival committee to lead its community entertainment division, Up Your Arts is responsible for production of all 33 featured stage performances, including the Southport Waterfront Stage, day and night; and the original venues, back again as sponsors, are joined by one of Southport’s newest gathering places, The Haven.

2023 UYA Managed Fourth of July Festival Events

Untitled Document
Start Artist Venue View
S 6:00p  Carl Newton Review Middleton Park Extension view ▸

 

Start Artist Venue View
S 10:00a  Generations Church  Southport Waterfront Park view ▸
S 1:00p  Sundance  Tiki Tavern view ▸
S 1:00p  Exacta Dave  Southport Tap and Cellar view ▸
S 1:00p  Back Porch Rockers  American Fish Company view ▸
S 1:00p  Jeremiah Reyes  Southport Waterfront Park view ▸
S 1:00p  Trip McCool  Southport Coffee Co. & Kitchen view ▸
S 1:00p  Jazz Reflections  The Haven view ▸
S 2:20p  Lockwood River Band  Southport Waterfront Park view ▸
S 2:30p  Keith Earnshaw  Southport Coffee Co. & Kitchen view ▸
S 2:30p  The Reflections  Tiki Tavern view ▸
S 2:30p  Up the Creek  The Haven view ▸
S 7:00p  Monkey Funktion  American Fish Company view ▸
 S 7:00p      Highway Miles  Southport Waterfront Park view ▸

 

Start Artist Venue View
M 12:00p      Chris Mozy  Southport Waterfront Park view ▸
 M 1:00p      Alysumm  Southport Tap and Cellar view ▸
 M 1:00p      All About the Beat  Tiki Tavern view ▸
 M 1:00p      Louise Gilbert Duo  American Fish Company view ▸
 M 1:00p      David Condon  Southport Coffee Co. & Kitchen view ▸
 M 1:00p      Jeremiah Reyes  The Haven view ▸
 M 1:30p      Salty Dawgs Southport Waterfront Park view ▸
 M 2:30p      Sandy Branch Bluegrass Band  American Fish Company view ▸
 M 6:00p      Parlay American Fish Company view ▸
 M 7:00p      Jeff and Kathy Brooks Tiki Tavern     view ▸
 M 7:00p      Resoul  Southport Waterfront Park view ▸

 

Start Artist Venue View
 T 1:00p      Jamie Dooley  Southport Waterfront Park view ▸
 T 1:00p      Charlene & the Bluegrass Charlatans  The Haven view ▸
 T 1:00p      The Ford Project  Tiki Tavern view ▸
 T 1:00p      Jo Jo Boomer Band  Southport Coffee Co. & Kitchen     view ▸
 T 1:00p      Riff Tide Southport Tap and Cellar view ▸
 T 2:30p      Parlay Southport Waterfront Park view ▸
 T 7:00p      The Castaways  Southport Waterfront Park view ▸

Fans of classic rock, blues, beach, and Americana music will have no problem finding something to dance to this year, nor will enthusiasts of the more laid-back action of jazz combos, Irish tunes, and solo artists. As you can see the list of performers is long and chock full of amazing musicians for a solid four days, July 1-4.

One more star attraction: we hope you will enjoy yourselves immensely at the newly relocated Southport Waterfront Stage – it is off the asphalt and onto the grass, very cool and much cooler. Bring your lawn chairs!

For a complete list of all festival activities, from the 38th Annual Fire Fighters Freedom Competition & Apparatus Expo to the Naturalization Ceremony, check out the schedule on the North Carolina Fourth of July Festival website brought to you by the folks at TheEventGuide.com.

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