On July 4th, Star Spangled Springfield will be back in Riverfront Park. Star Spangled Springfield celebrates Independence Day with family-friendly entertainment and a dazzling fireworks display.  The activities are held in Riverfront Park.

The festivities will begin at 6pm with facepainting and food vendors. At 7pm, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno will offer greetings and welcome sailors from the USS Massachusetts, a nuclear attack submarine being commissioned in 2025.

Hipptown, led by Floyd Patterson II, will then take the stage. The six-member group will perform old favorites from Motown, contemporary pop, rock, rhythm, and blues to get the audience dancing, and ready for the fireworks that will be launched from the Memorial Bridge at 9:30pm.

The fireworks display will be enhanced by musical selections that will be broadcast in the park and on Mix 93.1 FM. There will be waterfalls of pyrotechnics cascading from the Memorial Bridge, chrysanthemums, comets, snakes, willows, smiley faces, and more.

On Thursday, July 4th, streets around Riverfront Park will close as needed as the time gets closer to the fireworks. The Massachusetts State Police will block exit ramps into Springfield’s Downtown around 7pm. These include I-91 Northbound Exit 5 (Union Street), and I-91 Southbound Exits 5A (Union Street) and 5B (Memorial Bridge).

The Springfield Parking Authority is offering $10 parking in the I-91 North and South Garages, Columbus Center Garage, and Union Station Garage.

Since 1991, the Spirit of Springfield has been presenting Star Spangled Springfield. Festivities were first held in Court Square.  It has included concerts by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the 215th Army Band of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, the U. S. Air Force Band of Liberty and several other local bands.