Preparations Underway As July 4th Celebrations Kick Off
ADDISON (CBS 11 NEWS) - Get your lawn chairs and bug spray ready -- Independence Day is arriving early.
The 3rd of July may not be the day most Americans celebrate, but for bars along Belt Line Road in Addison, it's one of the busiest days of the year. "It's right up there with St. Paddy's Day," said Tim McEvilly, the general manager at McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon.
McFadden's will host one of the biggest watch parties for the annual Kaboom Town! Fireworks Display. Tables inside are already sold out, but the restaurant is still open for anyone wanting to get a drink and have great view of the show.
Wednesday, workers were already getting a head start setting the stage for live bands and a standing room only crowd. McEvilly said, "We expect 4,000 people for our party alone."
Next door, at The Back 9 Sports Bar & Grill there are promises of fun activities, including a mechanical bull and a dunk tank. Manager Shawn Crouch said anyone who stops by will have, "An opportunity to dunk their favorite employee or server or manager!"
For a family-friendly Independence Day option, Whole Foods is hosting a BBQ and a cakewalk for the kids.
With tickets for Kaboom Town! at Addison Circle already gone, local watch parties are expecting even bigger crowds than usual.
Chamberlain's Fish Market Grill and Antonio Ristorante have already booked up reservations.
Restaurants offering 'first come, first served' seating, are warning that customers better arrive long before the show. "Get out of work early. Cut out. Tell your boss you need to get out," suggested McEvilly.
Traffic around the event is expected to start backing up around 4:30 p.m. By 6 o'clock, watch parties expect to start hitting capacity numbers.
The Kaboom Town! fireworks show is set for 9:30 p.m.
Addison isn't the city in North Texas with big July 4th celebrations.
Check out some of the best Fourth of July parties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Here's an additional list of fun July 4th celebration locations.
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