July 4th Weekend Guide for Hershey, PA
Top Picks in The Sweetest Place On Earth for the 4th of July
From an epic fireworks display and family-friendly nighttime entertainment to coaster riding and special dining offerings, Hershey, Pa. is the place to be over the July 4th weekend (and all summer!). Check out our top picks to celebrate Independence Day in The Sweetest Place On Earth.
Hersheypark is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 1-3 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 4. Tickets include three parks in one with rides for all ages and mild to wild coasters, weather permitting, The Boardwalk At Hersheypark water park (hours vary) with 16 water attractions to cool off on a hot day, and ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park only when accessing the zoo from the bridge inside Hersheypark during posted Park hours.
Hershey Fireworks Display
Sunday, July 3, 2022, at 9:30 p.m.
Ride coasters during the day and see fireworks at night! Hersheypark will offer its annual fireworks display for guests and residents to enjoy on Sunday, July 3 at 9:30 p.m.
Star-Spangled Picnic at Hersheypark
Saturday, July 2 through Monday, July 4, 2022, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Guests visiting Hersheypark can enjoy an all-you-care-to-eat buffet picnic in the Fahrenheit Catering area. Picnics are available Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. over the holiday weekend. The menu includes multiple salads, sides, entrees and assorted desserts. Adult tickets are $19.50 and child tickets are $13.50. The Hersheypark Season Pass Holder discount is applied when purchased in person. You can purchase tickets online here.
4th of July Celebration at The Hotel Hershey
Sunday, July 3, 2022, from 6-11 p.m.
The Hotel Hershey is celebrating Independence Day on July 3 with live music, food and drinks on the veranda. From 6-9 p.m., guests can purchase dinner from a grab-and-go picnic buffet in Starlight Terrace, featuring pot roast sandwiches, BBQ pulled pork shoulder, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni and cheese and more. Then, guests can grab a seat on the veranda and enjoy their meal while listening to live patriotic music from 7-11 p.m. Plus, the veranda makes for a perfect viewing spot for Hershey’s fireworks display Sunday evening! A cash bar will also be available from 6-11 p.m. This event is first-come, first-served, and reservations are not accepted.
Big Time Rush at GIANT Center
Friday, July 1, 2022, at 8 p.m.
Big Time Rush will embark on the 41-date “Forever Tour” in 2022, with a stop at GIANT Center on July 1. Tickets are available online at HersheyEntertainment.com and Ticketmaster.com.
Big Time Rush became an overnight sensation in November 2009 when the scripted television show “Big Time Rush” launched on Nickelodeon. The show focused on the Hollywood adventures of four hockey players from Minnesota after they were selected to form a boy band. Carlos, Kendall, James and Logan came to life as a band off the screen, releasing three full-length albums and performing across the globe. As the show concluded in July 2013, and after four years of recording music and touring as a band, they went their separate ways but remained close friends through the years.
After seven years, in an effort to bring joy to their fans during quarantine around the world, the members of Big Time Rush appeared together as a group to send a message of love and togetherness. This was soon followed by a socially distant performance of an acoustic version of their smash hit, "Worldwide." These appearances resulted in excitement amongst their fans and in the media, followed by Big Time Rush receiving over 10 million streams in 2020 alone.
The band finished off 2021 with a performance at iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in Philadelphia, as well as two sold-out shows in Chicago and New York City, capping it off with the release of their first single in eight years, “Call It Like I See It,” on Dec. 13.
CHEER Live at GIANT Center
Sunday, July 3, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.
CHEER Live 2022 Tour will break new ground in a first-of-its-kind live performance touring, featuring athletes from Emmy Award-winning Netflix docuseries “Cheer.” The tour will visit GIANT Center in Hershey on July 3. Tickets are available online at HersheyEntertainment.com and Ticketmaster.com.
Bringing together fan favorites from the two most successful rival cheer programs in the country, Navarro College and Trinity Valley Community College, CHEER Live will feature 14-time National Champion coach and best-selling author, Monica Aldama, alongside cheer stars such as Gabi Butler and Morgan Simianer. The full cast features Maddy Brum, Angel Rice, Dee Joseph, James Thomas, Jeron Hazelwood, Gillian Rupert, Cassadee Dunlap and more to be announced.
The premier athletes all take the mat for an electrifying exhibition of never-before-seen stunts and stage performances that are sure to have fans on the edge of their seats. Without the restraints of score cards, judges and time limits, CHEER Live will transform the nail-biting sport of competitive cheerleading into a first of its kind premiere athletic event staged with the epic production value of a live concert.
Music in the Gardens at Hershey Gardens
Friday, July 1, 2022 from 6-8 p.m.
Back by popular demand, join Hershey Gardens for an evening of beautiful music in the Gardens. Guests are invited to bring their own beverages and snacks, as well as chairs or a blanket, as they listen to The Hershey Symphony “Garden Band” perform “Songs You Can Sing Along To.” This rain-or-shine event is included in regular admission (no special ticket is required) and is free for members. Hershey Gardens is a 23-acre botanical display garden that features 11 themed gardens, including a Historic Rose Garden. Please note: The Butterfly Atrium will be closed. Learn more.
Make Yankee Doodle Chocolate Bars at The Hershey Story
Friday, July 1 through Monday, July 4 at select times
The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue, is offering Yankee Doodle Chocolate Bar-themed Chocolate Lab classes from July 1-4. During this 45-minute class available select times between 10 a.m. and 5:15 p.m., museum guests can try their hand at chocolate pouring and decorating as they mold a milk chocolate bar and top it off with red, white and blue candy sprinkles to create their own edible American flag. Guests will find out where and how cocoa beans are grown and processed into their favorite chocolate confections. Chocolate Lab tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and may be purchased at The Hershey Story admissions desk upon arrival. Children must be at least 5 years old to enter the Lab. Learn more.
In addition to these July 4th happenings, the sweet town of Hershey is filled with attractions and activities the whole family can enjoy. Check out this ultimate summer guide to discover the non-stop fun happening across our destination all summer long.