July 4th fireworks: Athens sets the stage for inaugural Red, White & Boom Festival

Published 10:31 am Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Stepping things up a notch to bring the entire community together over this year’s July 4th holiday, the Athens SportsPlex will play host on Friday to the inaugural Red, White & Boom Fourth of July Festival — an expanded new staging of Athens’ annual Independence Day fireworks showcase.

The admission-free evening aims to welcome all Limestone County residents (and visitors, too) on an occasion when fireworks won’t be the only way to celebrate the 249th anniversary of the United States’ founding.

While this year’s inaugural event may be a well-timed warm-up for next year’s 250th-anniversary Semiquincentennial celebration, there’s certainly no shortage of perks to be found at the Red, White & Boom Festival’s first outing this Friday.

In addition to the customary fireworks viewing (scheduled to begin at approximately 9 p.m.), families can take part in a full slate of festival activities all set to a patriotic theme: There’ll be a vendor fair for unique arts and crafts browsing, on-site food trucks serving summertime favorites, all backed by live entertainment from a competitive musical throwdown dubbed by organizers as “Battle of the Bands: Rockin’ the Red, White, & Boom.” Solo artists and band ensembles will compete for the night’s $250 grand prize, with the winners to be announced ahead of the 9 p.m. fireworks display.

Hosted by the Athens-Limestone County Tourism Association and presented by Ramona Js Restaurant, the Red, White & Boom Fourth of July Festival will kick off at 5 p.m. and conclude at 10 p.m., giving guests plenty of opportunity to settle into their lawn chairs (organizers encourage you to bring your own) and stake out that perfect spot for fireworks viewing while the kids enjoy the night’s family-friendly activities. To view emerging updates ahead of the event, follow Athens-Limestone Tourism on Facebook, as well as the City of Athens, Alabama (Public Relations) Facebook page.