Freedom Festival & Fireworks

Celebrate Independence Day with PLAY Roanoke, Carilion Clinic, and VA250 on Thursday, July 3rd, 2025 at River’s Edge North.

Freedom Festival & Fireworks is back July 3 at River’s Edge Park! 🎆✨🎇 We’ve got lots of returning favorites for you, plus a few new additions to announce. Check it out 👇

RETURNING FAVORITES:

🎪 Music & Fun Zone > Free and family-friendly, there will be inflatables, trampolines, face painting, and more! Food trucks will be set up onsite. Fun Zone is open from 4:00 PM – 9:30 PM

🎵 5PTS Outdoors @ Freedom Fest > 5 Points Music Sanctuary will be back with a great musical lineup, plus beer and wine for sale. 

As part of our commitment to the tight knit community of musicians and creative mavens within our region, this year will feature an All-Star lineup of your favorite artists from dozens of local and regional bands. Spearheading this collective collaboration will be Roanoke’s best Yacht Rock band, Empty Bottles, as they welcome to the stage special guest performances from other local musicians including members from Jared Stout Band, Lazy Man Dub Band, Gak!, Ben Trout, Dead Reckoning, Ripejive, Shorefire, Half Moon, Chupacabras, and many others. 

Coming together to create a symphonic expression of our region’s creative talent, the event will feature 4 hours of live entertainment from the musical community that have helped anchor SWVA and Roanoke as a premier destination for amazing music and live entertainment.

4:45-5:45pm: Troublesome Blues Band

6:00-7:30pm: Empty Bottles featuring a Roanoke All-Stars Jam Set 1

7:45-9:15pm: Empty Bottles featuring a Roanoke All-Stars Jam Set 2

🎇 Fireworks Display > Starting at 9:30

*This year’s show will be an extended 20 minutes!

Did you know? By hosting this event on July 3rd, the City of Roanoke is able to offer a more impressive fireworks show than would be possible on the 4th?

⚠ Updates/Alerts > Stay informed on any updates (due to weather, etc.) by texting the word “FREEDOM” to 67283. You can also follow @playroanoke on Facebook or Instagram for updates.

NEW FOR 2025:

🎆 Location: River’s Edge Park – North

This year, the festival will be located on the North side of River’s Edge Park (along Reserve Avenue and across from Carilion Riverside).

*Parking Locations and Road Closures will be announced soon.

If you don’t plan to attend the festival, you can still observe the fireworks from River’s Edge Park – South. However, the pedestrian bridge between the North and South sides of the park will be closed.

📜 Presented in partnership with VA250 > VA250 – American Revolution 250 Commission serves to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the Independence of the United States in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

VA250 Mobile Museum > We are excited to host this interactive and immersive “museum on wheels!” The mobile museum is visiting schools, local events, and festivals, bringing key stories of Virginia’s rich history across the Commonwealth and beyond! More info at VA250.org.

🩺 Presented in partnership with Carilion Clinic > More details coming soon!

For details on how to find updates on fireworks in the event of severe weather, etc. – see the FAQs.