The Best 4th of July Fireworks in Asheville, North Carolina

If you're vacationing in Asheville, North Carolina this summer and are spending the 4^th of July there you may be wondering where to go for fireworks. The best fireworks show in Asheville is the one that is put on by Asheville Parks and Recreation and supervised by the Asheville Fire Department at City County Plaza.

In years past the best view has been from City County Plaza itself, although when I was in Asheville last, there was quite a bit of construction going on there. They were expanding City County Plaza into a larger park. According to one website, this year the fireworks show is going to be at Pack Square, which is just up the street from city county plaza, and should afford a good view of the sky if you are looking east toward City Hall and the Courthouse. City County Plaza though, has a better view, and if construction is still on going and they can't hold the fireworks there, that will be a pity.

How do you get to the fireworks party? Well, Asheville is a very walkable city and so you can park many blocks away from the center of town in any direction and walk to Pack Square and City County Plaza in a matter of minutes. A close place to park is either the Rankin Street parking garage or the city parking garage that is located at Pack Memorial Library. Event parking used to be $3.00 for an entire day, although that may have changed so you will want to check before parking there. I personally suggest parking in one of the garages because they are really close to all the action.

The festivities start at about 4pm. There is food, and live music and plenty of romping about town to be had. There will be a few bands playing, including the Austin Lounge Lizards who go on at 8:30. You can visit the shops and see the historic buildings, many of them dating to the nineteenth century. You'll want to end your tour of the city at least thirty minutes before the fireworks start though, so that you can get a good spot. And of course, for the best spots, you'll want to be there even earlier. The actual fireworks start at 10pm, just a little after the sun has set.

I have fond memories of my friends and I gathering on city county plaza to watch the beautiful fireworks and afterwards setting off those small noise makers on the street. We had such a rollicking good time on the fourth of July in Asheville many years in a row.

Another great thing about the fireworks show that Asheville Parks and Recreation puts on is that it lasts for a good twenty minutes. I have been to fireworks shows that are painfully short and leave you wanting more. This show is a good length and the brilliance of the fireworks, I have not seen anywhere else ever. They are absolutely beautiful and you will be "oohing" and "aahing" through the whole show along with everyone around you.

So if you're in Asheville on the 4^th of July, go downtown. While it is possible to see the fireworks from a distance depending on your location, the best view will be from downtown where ever they are holding the actual festival, in this case, Pack Square. If you are on the west side of Town Mountain you will probably have a good view of the fireworks. Because of the mountains, anywhere else is a tossup as to whether you will be able to see them well or not.