The Bulloch County Recreation and Parks Department and Cardinal LG will present the 2024 Firecracker Fest at Mill Creek Regional Park in Statesboro from 5–10 p.m. Saturday, June 29.
Firecracker Fest has been a Statesboro tradition for many years.
"The Firecracker Fest is a great event for everyone in our community and we are proud to be able to host once again," said Kimberly Sharpe, Event and Communication coordinator of the Recreation Department. "We have partnered with our public safety organizations to coordinate this event and we will do everything we can to help our guests have a safe, fun Independence Day celebration."
The free event will include several inflatables, live music, community exhibitions, as well as, the traditional Frog Jumping Contest. (People planning to participate in the Frog Jumping Contest are asked to bring their frogs to Field 3 for registration at 4:30 p.m.)
For the finale, Briggs and Stratton will sponsor the fireworks show, which will take place around 9:15 p.m.
The music lineup includes the Color the Night Band. The band performs a huge variety of party music from the past five decades: from classic rock to funk, R&B to 80's. Color the Night will be on stage from 5:30-7 p.m. and 7:45 to 9:15 p.m. Chris and Ashlee Mitchell will fill the 7-7:45 p.m. slot and Ashlee Mitchell will sing the National Anthem.
"The Bulloch County Recreation and Parks Department wants everyone to be safe this holiday and have worked with local law enforcement and the Georgia Highway Patrol to create a traffic plan for this event," Sharpe said in a release.
Traffic plan
The back entrance to Mill Creek Park will be closed and used for emergency vehicle access only.
Starting at 8:45 p.m., no traffic will be allowed down Highway 24 from the 301 Bypass to the recycling center just past the main entrance to Mill Creek Regional Park. From 9:30–10:30 p.m., traffic will exit out of the main entrance of the park using both lanes.
Both lanes will be directed left onto Highway 24. Traffic exiting from residences and businesses across Highway 24 from Mill Creek Regional Park will only be allowed to turn right (west) onto Highway 24.
Both lanes of Highway 24 will go straight to the bypass. The right lane of Highway 24 will be allowed to travel right onto the bypass or straight on Highway 24/East Main. The left lane of Highway 24 will be directed left onto the bypass.
Traffic exiting out of the recycling center exit at Mill Creek will turn right onto Highway 24 only.
Traffic from Mill Creek Elementary will be directed right onto Beasley Road to Highway 80. Traffic exiting from Bible Baptist, Trinity Church and Barnes Lumber will be directed right onto Highway 24 to the bypass for access to Highway 80 and Highway 301.
Any traffic wishing to travel down Highway 24 after 8:45 p.m. will be rerouted to Highway 80 east to Burkhalter Road where you will turn left and travel down to Zettwell Road and turn left again. This will take you back to Highway 24 on the opposite side of Mill Creek Regional Park.
Firecracker Fest is made possible with the support of sponsors and the community. The 2024 event is sponsored by Cardinal LG, Briggs and Stratton, Coca-Cola, the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro, Brickhouse Live, His Radio, TC Outdoors, Statesboro Golf Carts and ViaMedia.
For more information on the 2024 Firecracker Fest, call (912) 764-5637 or visit www.bullochrec.com.