Daily Loaf

Bust out the sparklers, wear red, white and blue, and celebrate Independence Day in the good ol’ U.S. of A. Aside from the usual parties and explosions in the sky at Channelside in Tampa and around The Pier in downtown St. Petersburg, several other locales host events in honor of the holiday this weekend:

The City of Gulfport 4th of July Celebration features a full day of fun festivities — kid-friendly beach activities like a fishing derby and a sandcastle contest, an auto show for the car lovers, and for those who long for retro tunes and flower power, live classic rock ‘n’ roll by 60sGroove, an abundance of goodies by local artists and crafters, and a community parade and fireworks finale. The Largo 4th of July Festival offers a free day of entertainment that includes a DJ, food and fireworks galore. Check your rowdy hats at the door, though: Largo keeps it simple and safe by prohibiting alcohol, pets and personal fireworks/sparklers. After all, no one likes a drunk wildly waving fire in the air. If you are bursting with love of country and want to celebrate early, Clearwater’s two-day FreedomFest may be just the thing for you. Day one includes live music, family-friendly activities, tasty food and a fireworks show. Day two kicks it up a notch with more live music, a nighttime laser light show and the special “Follow the Flag Tour” hosted by the Post 9/11 Foundation.

Fourth of July events and more after the break:

Support our troops at the Independence Day Carillon Concerts at the Bok Tower Gardens. Enjoy a peaceful picnic, check out on-site exhibits like The Birds, Bees, Flowers and Seeds by internationally-renowned illustrator Debra Jane Carey, and listen to classic patriotic songs like “The Star Spangled Banner,” “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful.” The Rock ‘n’ Wings Concert provides everything you need to rock out with your, um, sparkler out. Rock music? Check. Automobiles? Check. Aircrafts? Check. Former American Idol contestant Amanda Overmyer, the Greg Billings Band and Drew Street Mary perform, and attendees can also check out the classic cars and aircraft exhibits. Prepare for a day in the Florida sun, but leave your coolers and pets at home. Gulfport 4th of July Celebration, Sat., July 4, 8 a.m.-10 p.m., with the community Parade at 6 p.m. and the fireworks show at 9 p.m., downtown Gulfport, 727-893-1118, gulfportflorida.us; Largo 4th of July Celebration, Sat., July 4, 7-10 p.m., Largo Central Park, 101 Central Park Drive, 727-587-6775, LargoEvents.com; FreedomFest, July 3-4, 2 p.m.-dark Fri., noon-10 p.m. Sat., 5121 80th Ave. N., Pinellas Park, free, bayareaentertainmentonline.com; Independence Day Carillon Concerts, Sat., July 4, 1 and 3 p.m., Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales, $10 adults/$3 ages 5-12 (free for military), 863-676-1408, boktowergardens.org; Rock ‘n Wings Concert, Sat., July 4, 4-10 p.m., Albert Whitted Airport, First Street S. and Fifthth Avenue S., St. Petersburg, $10 adults/$5 ages 6-12, rocknwingsconcert.com. —Lily Reisman

When it’s time to nurse your hangover you have from being so darn patriotic on the Fourth, try the “hair of the dog” method and head to the SoHo Beach Party. Six of SoHo’s most popular spots — SoHo Tavern, The Dubliner, The Deck, Cork, Lodge and MacDintons — are transformed from the urban landscape to the sunny beach. Enjoy a bikini contest, cornhole tournament, drink specials, a sand sculpture and live music. A special wristband lets you in on the action at this all day (and all night) event. Visit southtampatoday.com for a full schedule of events and to purchase a wristband. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun., July 5, $20 in advance, $25 day of the event.

Other weekend events include:

At the EMERGE Art Party: Art Independence, Kick Start My Art and the Tampa Artist Emporium welcome 30 new guest artists. An opening reception is held from 7 to 10 p.m. on Fri., July 3, and includes a mixed-media jewelry class and chair massages. Admission to the party is free, and proceeds from barbecue and drink tickets benefit the Humane Society. Exhibit runs through the month of July. Tampa Artist Emporium, 3415 Bay to Bay Blvd., Tampa, tampaartistemporium.com.

The Gulfport Art Walk is a venerable collaboration of artists, craftspeople, jewelers, clothiers, musicians and food and drink vendors gathered for a pre-Fourth of July celebration. Free Range, Gail Biron and Summer Town provide live music, and Owen Pach offers mini-classes on how to create your own blown glass ornament. The featured artist is Barbara Nicolazzo, who expresses herself via tribal paintings — on cars. Barbara and her car will be on site, along with a collection of her unique hand-painted mailboxes and more. (Pictured: Barbara Nicolazzo’s hand-painted Toyota Corolla. Photo by Barbara Nicolazzo) 6-10 p.m. Fri., July 3, Gulfport Art Village Courtyard, 2900-2914 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport, free, gulfportma.com.

The Summer Classics Film Series presents Saving Private Ryan. It’s graphic, it’s intense, it’s moving, and it’s possibly the only movie to satisfy the gore-requirement for guys and make the ladies cry (okay, the guys probably cry, too). It’s the perfect storm of WWII history doc, personal tragedy and the triumph of a nation—an apt choice for July 4th weekend. If you’re looking for something to do on a lazy Sunday, take in this classic flick at a historic local venue. If you want to make a day of it, arrive early and stay late. An hour before the show, theater experts offer guided tours of the building, and Cinema Chat—a group discussion about the film’s cast, themes and cultural significances led by film specialist Harriet Deer—follows the movie. Sun., July 5, tour at 2 p.m., movie at 3 p.m., Cinema Chat directly after movie, 711 North Franklin St., Tampa, $8, 813-274- 8981, tampatheatre.org—Lily Reisman

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