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:

This article appears in Jul 1-7, 2009.