Fourth of July weekend is coming, and here are the best places to party

from facebook.com/michaelrgreennyc

Partying on the 4th of July means a lot more than sitting on a blanket and watching fireworks light up the sky. This is one of the best holiday weekends of the year, with events around the country that pull big city residents to resort towns across the country. Here are some of our favorite ideas for celebrating the weekend, and of course catching fireworks are part of the fun! 

Invasion of The Pines

For over 40 years, residents and visitors to The Pines have kept a 4th of July tradition: they arrive at the Pines Marina dressed in drag and sashay along the docks like a runway, celebrating the holiday weekend. Most of the people who attend the Invasion of the Pines party will not be dressed in drag, or dressed in much at all, but the high heels and wigs are the stars of the show. Expect fun, sun, and lots of cocktails. The Invasion of the Pines hashtag on Instagram is a hilarious display of the event on July 4 from 12-5pm, but it just kicks off the entire holiday weekend all over Fire Island, on the beaches and in the bars.

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Saugatuck / Douglas

The Saugatuck/Douglas area has one of the best summer party scenes in the country, thanks to the beautiful Oval Beach along Lake Michigan’s eastern shore. The Dunes Resort welcomes visitors from Chicago, Detroit, and Indianapolis who dance at the resort’s nightclub, and some stay at the resort itself while others rent cute guesthouses around town. The big draw here is the chance to swim in the surprisingly warm waters of Lake Michigan, which is surrounded by luxuriously soft sand, and then dine at Saugatuck’s excellent restaurants in the evening, before going back to The Dunes Resort for their 4th of July parties with DJs and cabaret singers. 

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Provincetown

The 4th of July Weekend is one of the busiest times for Provincetown, partly because of the beautiful fireworks display over the harbor that brings in families from around Cape Cod. The fireworks will start at around 8:45pm, perfect for catching a show with one of Provincetown’s legendary drag cabaret acts. Then the party goes all weekend long everywhere in town, with much of the action happening at The Crown & Anchor.

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Russian River

The Russian River area, centered around the town of Guerneville, Calif., is always a popular spot for the summer. Guys head to this mountain resort town near San Francisco for long weekends of relaxing by the hotel pools, or their own guesthouse rental, and then meet up at the local bars later. It’s a beautiful area filled with redwood trees, hiking, and general relaxing away from big city life. 

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Rehoboth Beach

It’s all about Poodle Beach in this little beach town, just a couple of hours away from Washington, D.C. Fireworks will light up the night sky on the 4th, and the entire weekend will be crowded with visitors who pack into the restaurants and bars.

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Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach may be the most beautiful beach in California, and on Fourth of July weekend, that is especially true, with all the beautiful guys hanging out at West Street, near the volleyball courts. People from Los Angeles, Orange County, and the San Diego area drive in for the day for beach parties and the chance to swim in the gorgeous, clear waters of the Pacific Ocean, here where the surf is a bit more gentle than other beaches in Southern California. There is one little dive bar, Main St., that can be crowded and fun, but the big cities are just an hour or two away, so there’s much more nightlife to be found. And the long days of beach parties may wear you out!

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