Tomorrow is the Fourth of July! A glorious celebration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by our founding fathers some 236 years ago. It is a day of great historical weight, and there is no better way to commemorate the occasion than to sit in a field and watch things blow up.
And when it comes to watching things blow up, you rather obviously have two options: Do it yourself or watch somebody else do it. We've got you covered in either case.
Blowing things up yourself
The Florida regulations for fireworks are nestled in the Florida statutes, chapter 791 -- right between weapons and sexual battery. Technically, recreational fireworks are totally illegal in Florida. There are exceptions for sparklers, various kinds of poppers, and, curiously, in 791.01(4)(c), some kind of fire-based car alarm that I must purchase AT ONCE.
Everything that explodes or flies -- including bottle rockets, M80s, and firecrackers -- is a no-go, legally speaking -- even if you bought it at a store and signed some fancy waiver.
But fret not! There is an exception: If you run a farm or fish hatchery and are using the fireworks to scare away birds, then you're exempt from the restrictions -- so maybe it's time to make friends with your weird, smelly neighbor with all those big tank things.
Watching other people blow things up
There are tons of places in the area putting on a show. Here's a partial list -- if you've got any others, send them our way ([email protected]) and we'll add it to the list.
- Fort Lauderdale: 9 p.m., Fort Lauderdale Beach, A1A and Las Olas Blvd.
- Lauderdale-By-The-Sea: 9 p.m., El Prado Park, 4500 El Mar Drive.
- Tamarac: 9 p.m., Tamarac Sports Complex, 9901 NW 77th St.
- Deerfield Beach: 9:15 p.m., Main Beach Parking Lot, 149 SE 21st Ave.
- Plantation: 9 p.m., Central Park, 9151 NW 2nd St.
- Sunrise: 9 p.m., BankAtlantic Center, 1 Panther Parkway
- Hollywood: 9 p.m., Hollywood Beach; or 9 p.m., Gulfstream Park Casino, 901 S. Federal Highway
- Coral Springs: 9 p.m., Mullins Park, 10000 NW 29th St.
- Davie: 9 p.m., Pine Island Park, 3801 S. Pine Island Road
- Pompano Beach: 9 p.m., Pompano Beach Fishing Pier, 222 North Pompano Beach Blvd.
(Also a possibility: Watching several area shows from Vista View Park in Davie. Have fun, don't blow an arm off.)
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