Highlands has long understood that the best Fourth of July celebrations are the ones that feel personal, the kind of day where neighbors wave from shaded sidewalks, children hurry ahead with patriotic excitement, and visitors quickly find themselves folded into the easy rhythm of the town.
Each year brings a few fresh details, but the heart of the celebration remains warmly and unmistakably Highlands, stitched together by familiar faces, mountain air, and the simple pleasures of a day spent outdoors with the people you love.
This year, those traditions return in full force on Saturday, July 4, promising another day filled with community spirit and mountain-town cheer.
The day begins bright and early at the Town Ball Field, where water rockets lift off from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M., setting a playful tone for everything that follows. There is something especially charming about a morning filled with the sound of countdowns, cheers, and the quick rush of children racing to see whose rocket flies highest.
At 11:00 A.M., the community gathers for a free hot dog lunch, and field games from 11:00 A.M. to noon – exactly the kind of old-fashioned fun that never goes out of style, echoing earlier celebrations remembered for friendly competition, laughter, and children darting from one activity to the next.
At noon, families can visit MAMA, the Mountain Area Medical Airlift, at the Ball Field, and at 1:00 P.M. the beloved Highlands Fire Department ladder truck spraydown offers a refreshing burst of summertime fun.
Then, at 2:00 P.M., the annual Duck Derby returns to the bridge at Mill Creek, carrying on one of those cheerful local traditions that feels as essential to the holiday as the flags and bunting downtown. It is exactly the sort of lighthearted moment Highlands does so well, blending small-town fun with the kind of community spirit that turns an ordinary Saturday into a treasured memory.
That evening, the Outdoor Concert Series brings everyone back together from 6:00 to 8:30 P.M. at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, where Southside Station fills the summer air with the kind of high-energy music that keeps lawn chairs occupied only in theory.
Their crowd-pleasing mix of pop, classic rock, country, dance favorites, and current hits keeps the audience singing along and dancing well into the evening. As twilight settles over town and lawn chairs give way to impromptu dancing, the whole celebration takes on that golden-hour glow that makes summer in Highlands feel so memorable.
After the concert, the celebration reaches its grand finale with another unforgettable fireworks display lighting up the Highlands sky.
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