If you're skipping the fireworks, other things to do Independence Day in Broward

Parades. Picnics. Water parks.

Plenty of events and things to do on Fourth of July don't involve fireworks. Plenty are free.

With a wide variety of things to do, it's easy to make the holiday ideal for you.

Things to do Fourth of July without fireworks

Broward Parks

Broward Regional Parks are waiving the usual weekend and holiday fees for Fourth of July, and entry is free. Some parks and natural areas are always free.

Broward Regional Parks include these

TY Park, 954-357-8811, 3300 N. Park Road, Hollywood 33021. Amenities include Water park, with fees. The park offers a playground, tennis, volleyball and basketball. A walking path around a lake is under shady trees.
Quiet Waters Park, 954-357-5100, 401 S. Powerline Road, Deerfield Beach 33442. Amenities include nature trails, Splash Adventure Water Park with a fee, mountain bike trails with a fee, Ski Rixen USA water cable skiing and wakeboarding with a fee, 18 hole disc golf course, bring your Frisbee or purchase a disc at the office, Woofing Waters Dog Park for a fee.
Tree Tops Park, 954-357-5130, 3900 SW 100th Ave., Davie 33328. Tree Tops offers lush nature trails, a tower, Safety Town play area, playground and equestrian paths.
others

Some Broward parks and Natural Areas, including Fern Forest in North Broward, are free on week days, weekends and holidays.

Information about Broward Parks and the features each offers is on the Broward Parks website.

Splash Adventure Photo/Broward Parks & Recreation

Water playgrounds at Broward Regional Parks

Hollywood

The aquatic facilities include a pool, and wading pools with interactive features for different ages. T.Y./Topeekeegee Yugnee Park is at 3300 N. Park Road., Hollywood 33021, 954-357-8811. Fees for the water park are

$10 per day
Discount opportunity: after 3 p.m., it's $6

Deerfield Beach

Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield offers a shallow interactive water playground with slides and spritzy features.

Waterpark fees

$6 per day
Discount opportunity: after 3 p.m., admission is $4.40
Season tickets are $45 to $468

Quiet Waters Park, 954-357-5100, is at 401 S. Powerline Road, Deerfield Beach

Pembroke Pines

Paradise Cove water park includes tall twisty water slides into a plunge pool, a lazy river tube ride, and water playgrounds.

Water park fees

$15 per day
Discount opportunity: $10 after 3 p.m

C. B. Smith Park, 954-357-5170, is at 900 N. Flamingo Road, Pembroke Pines 33028

Parades

Weston

Weston Hometown Parade is 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 4 with the route starting on Town Center Boulevard and Three Village Road, east to Bonaventure Boulevard, winding through Weston Town Center along Bell Tower Lane.

Sunrise

Parade & Family Fun Day is 9 a.m.- noon July 4, featuring a parade with floats. The parade will travel west on Sunset Strip from Northwest 12th Street to the park at 6600 Sunset Strip.

At the park, festivities include refreshments, food vendors, and fun zone for kids including an inflatable water slide & rock wall. The park features a playground and splash pad. Entry is free. Parking is at the park and Village Elementary School, 2100 NW 70th Avenue.

Plantation

Plantation July Fourth festivities include a parade at 9 a.m. July 4 from Broward Boulevard and Northwest 46th Avenue, west on Broward Boulevard to Northwest 69th Avenue, to Northwest Fourth Street.to Plantation city hall, 400 NW 73rd Ave., Plantation 33317.

Margate

9 a.m. parade on Margate Boulevard east from Northwest 76th Avenue to State Road 7. Refreshments and bounce houses are featured after the parade.

Family Fun Days & events with inflatables and bands

Lots of towns feature live bands, bounce houses and games during the day or prior to the fireworks. For information about events in different towns, Fourth of July fireworks, drone shows & events in Broward.

Photo/Water Taxi

Attractions with fees

Flamingo Gardens features wildlife habitats and gardens. Regular entry fees are $17 – $24, with discount opportunities. Flamingo Gardens is at 3750 S. Flamingo Road, Davie 33330. For information, 954-473-2955 or on the website. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with entry required by 4 p.m.

Xtreme Action Park indoor arcade and recreation venue in Fort Lauderdale includes trampolines, virtual reality games, arcade, roller skating and plenty of other features. The venue is offering for Fourth of July a $25 package deal. Xtreme Action Park, 954-491- 6265, is at 5300 Powerline Road, Fort Lauderdale 33309

Water Taxi offers narrated tours and hop-on hop-off routes. Water Taxi is featuring a discounted rate July 4-6. The discounted rate is $25 with tickets purchased online. Regular day fees for adults are $38. The fees for ages 5 – 11 is $15.

Tri-Rail Train

Step aboard and skip South Florida traffic. Tri-Rail runs to points in Dade, Broward and greater Palm Beach. It's relatively inexpensive & offers offers $5 fares on weekends and holidays.

Attractions without fees

Downtown Hollywood Murals

Downtown Hollywood offers an interesting outdoor display of original artwork. Artists from different parts of the United States showcase their talents on sidewalks, buildings and other structures. About 30 paintings are featured in an easy walkable route. The route and information about the each mural is online. Parking fees apply in Hollywood.