Free 4th of July 2007 Celebrations in Dayton Ohio

Dayton and the Miami Valley area of Southwestern Ohio will be buzzing with free celebrations for a week surrounding this summer's Independence Day.

The Birthplace of Aviation is destined to be the first to celebrate this patriotic holiday on Friday June 29th at Dayton's famous Wright Patterson Air Force Base on Spaatz Street., Freedom's Call 2007 kicks off at 4:30pm on Friday with family activities, refreshments for purchase, and live musical performances including Soul Express, a local, Motown band. A tribute to the 60th Anniversary of the United States Air Force starts at 8pm with military aircraft flyovers and musical entertainment by the U.S. Air Force Band of Flight. At nightfall the crowd will gather on blankets and lawn chairs on the grounds behind the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to watch the fireworks display.

Cityfolk Festival is Dayton's official holiday celebration held at their metro park, RiverScape, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday June 29, 30 and July 1st. The weekend will be filled with multicultural music and dancing, ranging from bluegrass to cajun, on three different stages. The free, annual festival is family friendly with a plethora of children's activities at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Tent on Saturday and Sunday, including visiting museum animals, making frozen banana hammers, and learning about the science of sound or wind. RiverScape's setting, located between Monument Avenue and the levee above the Great Miami River, provides a fabulous backdrop for Sunday's 10pm City of Dayton fireworks show.

Dayton's suburban neighbors celebrate Independence Day on the actual date, July 4th. Delco Park on Woodman Center Drive is the site of Kettering's Go 4th 2007 celebration. The nearby suburb of Kettering will offer entertainment and children's activities beginning at 6pm on Wednesday the 4th. Local cover band the Fries will also perform all evening, followed by a 25 minute long display of fireworks at 9:45pm.

Washington Township's Centerville will host its 34th annual Americana Festival including a 5k run, street fair, hundreds of crafts and food vendor booths, children's games, live music, talent shows, a parade, a community concert at Stubbs Park, all capped off by a musically choreographed fireworks show. The Americana Festival parade begins at 10am on July 4th, at Centerville High School on East Franklin Street. This year's free festival and parade will feature the theme, "Color our World... Artistic Expression." At 10pm the evening of the 4th, the crowd gathers in Centerville High School's football stadium with radios tuned to the station, Z-93, to enjoy the famous Rozzi fireworks, arranged to patriotic music.

Dayton's neighbor to its east is the small city of Beavercreek also celebrating with a free parade and entertainment on the 4th. The evening parade will start at 6pm from Meadow Ridge Road, down Dayton-Xenia Drive, ending at Beavercreek High School. The celebration will continue with music, food, and games at Rotary Park at 7pm. The night of festivities ends with a 10pm fireworks show.

The city of West Carrollton is 15 minutes south of Dayton and boasts a small town atmosphere. West Carrollton's free 4th of July Festival takes place at Wilson Park on South Street on Wednesday July 4th. The spirit of competition will be alive with a free apple pie baking contest, as well as a cornhole tournament with an entry fee and the chance to win cash prizes. Enjoy a day of live entertainment, food and craft booths, children's rides and games, capped off by a display of fireworks at the lower dam that night.

What feels more patriotic than free, local festivities? Dayton and its neighbors certainly offer plenty of free choices for Miami Valley Ohioans to celebrate America's birthday this year.