North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources photo.
Independence Day will be a little quieter this year.
Tight budgets and tighter safety rules have left only two choices for watching fireworks on the Outer Banks this Sunday.
Shows will go on in Manteo and Corolla, but the pyrotechnics have been cancelled for Nags Head, Kill Devils Hills, Hatteras Island and Ocracoke.
Impromptu displays might be a little less visible as well. Fireworks have been banned up and down the Outer Banks.
Nags Head had spent around $20,000 for its fireworks and another $7,000 to $10,000 for police and fire overtime, according to public information officer Roberta Thuman. In previous years, the fireworks had been launched at Nags Head Fishing Pier.
Kill Devil Hills also cited costs and new rules as the reasons behind its cancellation. The displays cost Kill Devil Hills about $15,000. A statement said the town would take another look during next year’s budget discussions.
After an explosion that killed four workers in Ocracoke last year, the state Fire Marshal mandated tighter rules for people who handle pyrotechnics. They require submitting an application to the Office of State Fire Marshal, attending a safety class and passing a test.
The Island Free Press reported that fireworks in Ocracoke were cancelled this year because of construction near the site where they are usually launched, costs and the new safety requirements. Read more on Hatteras Island events in the Free Press.
The Currituck County Department of Travel and Tourism is sponsoring the 18th Independence Day Celebration from 6 p.m. to dusk Sunday at Currituck Heritage Park in Corolla. The event will include music, food vendors, children’s activities and fireworks over the Currituck Sound. The county says parking is limited and recommends arriving early.
Details of events planned in Dare County for the weekend of the Fourth are provided by The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
An all-day celebration is planned in Manteo starting with music at 2 p.m. There will be contests for apple pies, decorated bikes and wacky hats. The Crowd will play at 6 p.m. Gather for fireworks at 8 p.m. Music will be provided at the Outdoor Pavilion at Roanoke Island Festival Park. The event is free.
An Independence Day celebration is planned for the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Building starting at 3:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Civic Association, it features patriotic music, community singing and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. A watermelon feast follows.
Nags Head Church next to Jockey’s Ridge is planning a block party with free music, food, drinks and parking from 7 to 9 p.m. From there, spectators can walk to the ridge to watch Manteo’s fireworks across the sound.
Duck’s Independence Day Parade is Monday at 9 a.m. Music by Ruth Wyand follows at Duck Town Park. The town is holding the parade on Monday because many weekly vacationers arrive and leave along N.C. 12 on Sundays.