MUSCATINE, Iowa – The boat ramps in the old boat launch area of Riverside Park will be closed to public use on Sunday, July 4, due to the Independence Day holiday festivities in the downriver portion of the park. The new boat launch on the upriver end of the park will be available for boaters.
Department of Public Works staff will close the boat ramp from 6 a.m. Sunday to 12 a.m. Monday.
Parking restrictions will also be put into place inside Riverside Park and along Mississippi Drive from Linn Street to Iowa Avenue. (see map below). In addition, the downriver parking lot (south of the restroom and playground area) will be closed from 6 a.m. Friday to 12 a.m. Monday.
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Independence Day in Muscatine
The Children's Dress-Up Parade will start off the Independence Day festivities in Muscatine. Children and families are invited to BE the parade that will start at 9 a.m. in the parking lot at the intersection of 2nd and Pine streets.
“Dress as a favorite character, or in red-white-and-blue, or just come as you are,” Betty Collins, Youth Services Manager, said. “We will walk together down the street to Musser Library where we will have popsicles and water for everyone. It's a sweet, simple, low-stress way to celebrate the United States of America, families, and children.”
The parade will move up Pine Street from the 2nd Street parking lot to 3rd Street and then down to Walnut and finish at the library.
Keep Muscatine Beautiful, the nonprofit organization behind Almost Friday Fest, will sponsor Almost Fireworks Fest from 3-8 p.m. in the community event area south of the basketball courts in Riverside Park featuring family-friendly activities such as bounce houses, face-painting, and more. Live music and food vendors will be on hand to bring the blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the day in the park.
The presentation of the Honor Guard and the reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place at 8:05 p.m. on the Almost Fireworks Fest stage with a patriotic concert by the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra starting at 8:10 p.m. at Pearl City Station The evening wraps up starting at 9:30 p.m. as fireworks light up the sky over the Mighty Mississippi River.
Be safe in your celebrations
Summer is synonymous with barbecues, parades, and fireworks. The National Safety Council advises everyone to enjoy fireworks at public displays conducted by professionals, and not to use any fireworks at home. They may be legal but they are not safe. Read more: Leave Fireworks to the Experts.
Additional fireworks safety information is available at: