Independence Day in Danville will kick off with a trail run at Anglers Park and will culminate with fireworks downtown. All Parks and Recreation events will be held on Sunday, July 4. Reserved parking tickets for the fireworks show are available.
The 13th Annual Patriot Challenge will start at 8 a.m. at Anglers Park. The race will feature a four-mile course on the Anglers Ridge Mountain Bike Trail and an ice cream social following the event. Registration costs $30 per runner; the fee is $25 for runners who register as a group of four or more. A cooling towel and light-up arm band will be given to the first 75 who register. Day-of registration costs $40; cash only. Those who do not participate can purchase an ice cream ticket for $2. To register, call (434) 793-4636.
The Annual July 4th Celebration at the Crossing will kick off at 6 p.m. and will feature free entertainment and arts and crafts. This year’s musical entertainment is provided by Danville Symphony Orchestra and will begin at 7:50 p.m. Kona Ice, Uncle Al’s Ice Cream, and J’licious food truck will be on site. The event is sponsored by URW Community Federal Credit Union, J&J Equipment Rentals and Sales, J&J Truck Sales, Inc., and Danville Parks and Recreation.
Fireworks will begin at dusk on July 4 and will be detonated from the southbound lane of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge. Pedestrians and motorists can expect changes to the traffic pattern beginning with the closure of the southbound lane at 1 p.m. The northbound lane and all access lanes will close at 8 p.m. The train trestle pedestrian bridge will close at 9 p.m. The River District can be accessed via Union Street Bridge or Industrial Avenue. The fireworks show is free and open to the community. Free parking is available in and around the River District.
As a fundraiser for Riverfront Park, Danville Parks and Recreation will be selling reserved parking on the park property adjacent to the bridge for $25 a vehicle. Only a limited number of spaces are available. Ticket holders will be able to park in their spot between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. One ticket per vehicle; standard passenger vehicles only. To purchase a ticket, call (434) 799-5195 or visit the Danville Public Library from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
