ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — 

Wherever you are in Western North Carolina this week, it will be hard to miss an Independence Day celebration. A festival, fireworks show or both are guaranteed to be somewhere nearby. Here are a few going on in Asheville and surrounding towns: 

Asheville 

Asheville Downtown Association organized the Ingles Independence Day Block Party on the South Slope of downtown Asheville. The free event will run from noon to 10 p.m. July 4 between Coxe and Buxton avenues. 

The block party will feature crafts, food vendors and family-friendly live music, including performances by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, DJ Badonkey Kong and The Legendary Tuesday Night Funk Jam House Band. 

The event will conclude with a fireworks show beginning at 9:30 p.m. 

Montreat 

Montreat has a hefty schedule planned for its 2024 Fourth of July Celebration beginning at 7 a.m. July 4 at the Montreat Conference Center. This year, the theme is Live Together, Play Together.  

Attendees will have plenty of opportunity to do so at events including the 7 a.m. Gait Race 5k at Montreat Gate, 10:30 a.m. Fourth of July Parade, 2 p.m. Ice Cream Social at William Black Lounge, 3 p.m. Old-Fashioned Games on Moore Center Field and 7 p.m. Fourth of July Big Circle Mountain Dance on the Cornwell Tennis Courts. 

The Big Circle Mountain Dance will have free admission. No experience is necessary. 

For a full list of Fourth of July activities in Montreat, visit www.montreat.org/events/foj24-celebration. 

Hendersonville 

There will be a 4th of July Parade & Celebration in downtown Hendersonville beginning at 10:30 a.m. and going until dark on Thursday, July 4. 

The event begins with the parade on Main Street at 10:30 a.m. and will resume in the evening across downtown with inflatables, two stages of live music and other family-friendly activities. 

Fireworks will be set off after dark from Jackson Park. A large red balloon will be launched to indicate the visibility region for the fireworks show.

“If you can see the ‘Big Red Balloon,’ you can see the fireworks from your location,” Henderson County Parks and Recreation said in a statement. 

Weaverville 

Weaverville residents are invited to come out for The Town of Weaverville’s 4th of July Celebration featuring live music by Datrian Johnson and a fireworks show. 

The event begins at 7 p.m. July 4 on Weaverville’s Main Street, which will be closed between Brown and Church streets for the festivities. The fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. across from Weaverville Town Hall. 

Attendees are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and their dancing shoes, but dogs, alcohol and sparklers are prohibited. 

Mars Hill 

The Mars Hill Fourth of July Celebration Festival begins at 4 p.m. July 4 at the Mars Hill University Stadium. 

The event will have inflatables, food trucks and fireworks, sponsored by the Town of Mars Hill in collaboration with Mars Hill University and Mars Hill Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5483.

Fireworks will begin after dark. The event will end at 10 p.m. 

Black Mountain 

Black Mountain will skip a festival in favor of getting right to the fireworks. Beginning at dusk on July 4, the July 4th Fireworks will be set off behind the former Bi-Lo Grocery Store at 205 NC Highway 9. 

The display will be visible from several parts of downtown Black Mountain, but parking will be available at the former Bi-Lo on a first-come, first-served basis.