Fireworks, Festivals And Floats: Where To Celebrate Independence Day Weekend 2025 Across Connecticut

CONNECTICUT — From classic fireworks shows to float parades and Renaissance faires, Connecticut is bursting with Independence Day celebrations in every county, offering something for every taste over the long holiday weekend.

Make no mistake, there's no shortage of Independence Day fireworks shows in Connecticut — in fact, shows are found in all eight counties, begin in June and running through August.

Some over-the-top highlights include the Hartford Bonanza 2025. There'll be fireworks, sure, but with live music, food trucks, a beer garden, marketplace, games and more frivolity at Bushnell Park on Saturday, July 5. The Bushnell Park Carousel will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. Rain date is Sunday, July 6.

Also notable is the Hartford Symphony Orchestra's annual “Celebrate America!” concert and fireworks show, at the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center. Part of the Talcott Mountain Music Festival in Simsbury, the concert, followed by the fireworks, begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 4. Joining the orchestra for this special occasion will be singer-songwriter Livingston Taylor.

See Also: $2.2 Million Winning Lottery Ticket Sold In Connecticut

Yes, Reader's Digest is still around, and has been rating the best fireworks displays since before you launched your first bottle rocket at your neighbor's cat. In Connecticut in 2025, the editors give the crown to the boom-booms in New Haven, on July 4. Starting just after sunset, organizers say the fireworks show is best watched from Wilbur Cross High School, but it will be visible from any point in the city or from a cruise, as well as broadcast live on local television.

Or maybe you'd rather spend as much of your long weekend on the water, and who could blame you? Guests at FloatSwella in Mystic are invited to bring their favorite floaties, whether that's a kayak or inflatable flamingo, and drift alongside friends, family, and neighbors in a safe, designated area just off the dock. Live reggae music will be provided by Red Lion Band, and look for local food specials when you wander back onto the land. Saturday, July 5, from at 1 to 4 p.m., along the Mystic River at Gravel Street.

Expect a different Independence Day Weekend experience on the Connecticut River in Essex, where the Connecticut River Museum will be holding its annual Independence Day Boat Parade on July 4. Spectators can expect an armada of dazzling boat displays and cannon fire, after visiting the museum exhibits and taking on a special scavenger hunt. The museum opens at noon, the water parade commences at 2 p.m.

See Also: How Much CT Families Really Spend on Child Care, According To New Data

This Independence Day Weekend, Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire returns for its 13th season and the first of three weekends at Warsaw Park in Ansonia. Expect madrigals, magic, and mead, along with live combat shows and sketchily-executed British accents. Hours are Friday, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with a special after-hours "Pub Sing" and fire show on Saturday, July 5 from 7 to 9 p.m.

If liquor and lilies are more to your fancy, be sure to check out the first Ashford Daylily Festival hosted by Westford Hill Distillers on July 5 from 2 to 5 p.m. Daylilies are not true lilies, bloom for just a single day, but in spectacular colors. The festival offers guided tours of mature, classic daylily gardens, exhibits, treats, and — obviously — adult beverages. Rain date is Sunday, July 6.

See Also: Popular Connecticut Pizzeria To Close After Nearly Three Decades