Newark's Liberty Day features music, fireworks at UD athletic complex

10:14 a.m., June 26, 2013--Newark will hold its annual Liberty Day celebration from 6-9 p.m., Thursday, July 4, at the University of Delaware’s David M. Nelson Athletic Complex on South College Avenue.

The event will feature food, music, arts and crafts and fireworks.

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June 5: Blue Hen 5K

University of Delaware graduates planning to attend Alumni Weekend are encouraged to register for the annual Blue Hen 5K walk and run, which will be held Sunday morning, June 5.

June 6-9: Food and culture series

The 20th annual June Lecture Series at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UD in Wilmington will be held June 6-9. Titled 'June a la Carte,' this year's program focuses on great political documents, feminism, world politics and a Newark cuisine sampler.

• June 6-9: Food and culture series
• Through June 30: 'Saving White Clay Creek'
• July 22: WWE Heatwave Tour
• Through Sept. 16: Women of color in academia

The Independence Day celebration annually draws approximately 18,000 people to the site and the fireworks are viewed by an estimated 40,000 people in the area.

UD’s athletic complex will be filled with activities and has plenty of space to lay down a blanket and enjoy the early evening and then the fireworks display.

There will be fine arts and crafts booths and games for children.

At 6 p.m., live musical entertainment will begin with Howard Valentine and the Prophets of Love taking the stage. The Juveniles will perform classic rock hits beginning at 7:45 p.m.

Free parking will be available in the athletic complex lots.

Those who attend are asked to leave their pets at home and be sure they are secured safely during the fireworks display because fireworks tend to scare pets, and many animals are lost during Independence Day celebrations.

The rain date is Friday, July 5, with fireworks only.

If there is questionable weather, call the city’s leisure time hot line at 302-366-7147 for rain date information or cancellation.

For additional information, call the Newark Parks and Recreation Office at 302-366-7060. Note that city offices and Alderman's Court will be closed on July 4-5.

The Liberty Day program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency committed to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Photo by Evan Krape