Celebrate 4th of July at Light Up Arlington Fireworks Show, 2022 Independence Day Parade

By Office of Communication

Posted on June 23, 2022, June 23, 2022

Editor's Note: This article, originally published June 8, was updated June 23 with additional event information. 

Celebrate Independence Day in Downtown Arlington with live music, kid-friendly activities, food trucks and a spectacular firework display on Sunday, July 3 followed by a red, white and blue, fun-filled parade the next day.

Festivities, which are free and open to the public, start at 6 p.m. July 3 at Parks and Recreation Department's annual Light Up Arlington. This year's celebration, which encompasses 57 acres surrounding City Hall and the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library, includes some of the top musical acts in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, vendors, food trucks and plenty of kid-friendly fun.

Bands will perform at four stages around Downtown, starting with 6 p.m. concerts outside the Arlington Music Hall and at "Boomtown" outside of the Grease Monkey restaurant, a 6:30 p.m. concert outside of City Tower at 101 S. Mesquite St., and a 7 p.m. concert at Levitt Pavilion Arlington.

Face painting and a bubble bus are among activities planned for the little ones at the Downtown Library. Vendors and at least eight food trucks, featuring a variety of food and desserts, will be set in “Firecracker Alley,” which will be located in the parking lot on the west side of City Hall on Abram Street between Oak and Pecan streets. Food trucks are also expected to be available near activities held at the library, City Tower and Grease Monkey.

The fireworks display, which lasts about 20 minutes, is scheduled to start at 9:50 p.m. and will be set to music on 95.9 The Ranch FM. Fireworks will be shot from the roof of City Tower, which is located east of City Hall.

‘E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many, One’

Light Up Arlington isn't the only way to celebrate Independence Day and show your patriotism in The American Dream City. Head on back to Downtown on Monday morning for the beloved Arlington Independence Day Parade, which started in 1965 and is billed as the oldest, longest running event in the city.

Be sure to arrive early for the parade, which kicks off at 9 a.m. Each year, tens of thousands of people line the streets to watch the colorful floats, antique cars, marching bands, unicyclists and other parade entries wind through Downtown.

The theme for this year's parade is “E Pluribus Unum - Out of Many, One,” which is a traditional United States motto adopted by Congress in 1782.  Parade organizers said the theme was chosen for many reasons, but most importantly, because we are a nation of many peoples and backgrounds, but we are all one as Americans.

“The Arlington Independence Day Parade is the longest-running tradition in Arlington and is the event that the community has come together with for generations. There is not a more patriotic moment than seeing the streets of Arlington lined with people from different backgrounds, faiths, and experiences coming together to pledge allegiance to our flag and celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as Americans,” said William Busby, parade communications coordinator. “We are one nation under God, indivisible, and we hold fast to liberty and justice for all.”

Click here to see the 2022 Arlington Independence Day Parade Route Map.

Light Up Arlington Tips:

• Free public parking is available throughout Downtown, but visitors need to be aware of some planned parking lot closures and street closures around City Hall, 101 Center and the City Tower. Some streets will close for Light Up Arlington festivities as early as 2 p.m. on Sunday. Download the Waze app for updated road closures and driving directions.
• Access to and from the 101 Center Parking Garage and parking spots immediately surrounding the building will be strictly prohibited beginning at 6 pm until approximately 11 pm. Any vehicles in the parking garage or in the parking spots surrounding the building will not be allowed to leave once the event has started. 
• All vehicles must be removed from the City Tower parking lot by 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 3. All vehicles left in the lot after 5 p.m. will be towed to the northeast corner of the lot and access to those vehicles will be denied until the firework display is over and the lot has been reopened to the public at approximately 1 a.m. July 4.
• The City Hall parking lot at Pecan and Abram streets will be closed on Sunday, July 3. All vehicles must be removed from this lot by 7 a.m. that day to make way for Light Up Arlington activities.
• Look for signage with QR codes during Light Up Arlington for the latest information about events and activities.