Your day may have finished early, office hours on google are closed, and firework stalls are booming on every corner. It’s about that time of year for America’s Independence day celebration.
With the World Cup being hosted, I have a strong feeling that this year is going to be a loud one. But first we need to answer the million dollar question:
Where can we get the best view of the show?
Now there are endless opportunities to see fireworks in the next few days and if we are lucky we will have an air show battle between our neighboring areas. While the Tampa RiverWalk , St. Pete., or Clearwater area will have no-doubt a great show- I want you to know how to have a perfect night out without the traffic, the parking, or the forced stand still in your cars to get home after the party is over. So here are some underrated options to consider in Temple Terrace.
city of temple terrace 51st annual celebration
@ temple terrace golf & country clib
With our City of Temple Terrace putting on their 51st annual 4th of July celebration, you can count on a huge turnout here. Where the entire city comes together to enjoy a parade, entertainment, and our local businesses supporting this huge community. See this show-out under the Oak Trees.
When & Where:
Fireworks are currently scheduled for approximately 9:15pm, weather permitting.
This can be an all day affair with the parade starting in the morning but if you are strictly around for the pyrotechnics then you may want to be strategic to get a good viewing spot. Be sure to come out early to sit amongst the greens. Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club is the place to go if you want to be where the people are.
Reserve your spot now at Eventbrite
busch gardens 250th celebration
@ busch gardens tampa bay
If you want more of a show that feels bigger but still right around the corner, you may want to check out Busch Gardens. Just 2.7 miles from Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club, you can enjoy a safari scenery at Busch Garden’s 4th of July Celebration. With the current 4th of July promotion on their website it looks like $99 can get you access to the show and also unlimited visits for the remainder of the year. At this bash you can expect a dazzling display of fireworks, a Wild Skies drone show, and more – all among the Summer Nights festivities(which is it’s own post worth of entertainment).
When & Where:
drone show with a firework finale is scheduled at 9 pm
At our favorite neighborhood amusement park, you can enjoy yourself all day and all night. This may be the chance for pass members to shine with your all year access to the park. What’s more, I just discovered on the website that Busch Gardens is serving free beer for pass members too! While I dive into how long that’s going on for, feel free to consider this experience while it’s offered.
MOSI’s Stars, Stripes & Science
@ museum of science
Taking you back to memory lane for all of my locals. It might just be time to celebrate with your inner child and give MOSI a shot this 4th of July. If you’re new to MOSI it is the museum of science that you should definitely visit. It was legitimately fun for all ages and many of us were ecstatic to enjoy as field trips when younger with planetariums, ropes courses, novel science demos and more. Now they offer their Stars, Stripes, and Science event this Independence Day for kids and adults to remember for around $15 -$30. Here you can expect games and activities, nitrous ice cream, food and drink samples, Live Music by The Julie Black Duo, a baseball pop-up museum, and a sensory friendly firework show on their dome screen in their Saunders Planetarium.
When & Where:
sensory-friendly firework show is scheduled at 4:30 pm
Not just for kids, Coppertail Brewery will be featured at their bar here for those that like to enjoy a drink with their science. I found that you can climb your way to the dome rooftop to view the Tampa fireworks of the night for purchase, but it looks like that upgrade is already sold out. I will have to keep my eye out next time! If you are looking for a change of pace this year from the typical firework crowd, MOSI is sure to be an incredibly fun alternative.
USF rooftop of beard parking facility
@ university of south florida
If you want to be away from the crowds and prefer the pretty fireworks from afar, then it’s worth checking out the scene from the University of South Florida (USF). Many have shared that the top level of their garage has a perfect view of the Busch Gardens fireworks. At your own risk if you don’t have a student or faculty parking permit, this option is directly on campus grounds. However if you can coordinate a carpool this is a great relaxed way that is bound to give you space and a show. Since this is word of mouth, I can’t grantee a specific location but based of the image above, the best guess is to aim for the Beard parking facility next to Juniper Poplar to get this picture.
When & Where:
firework finale at Busch garden (viewable from usf)is scheduled at 9 pm
While access is typically regulated by the university’s parking and transportation services, it does look like they offer different parking permits including daily visitor passes and visitor permits for friends of USF as Permit Types . Give this option a try if you wish to be off the beaten path but reap the rewards of the close shows.
That concludes my list for today but please share where you plan on seeing the fireworks this 4th of July!
Cheers!
Say Hi Strategies 
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