Star-Spangled Banner Elk

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Courtesy Downtown Banner Elk, NC

The Star-Spangled Banner Elk Fourth of July celebration includes one of the most popular (and fun!) Fourth of July parades in North Carolina, followed by the annual Party in the Park and Duck Race.

The day begins at 11 a.m. with a procession that makes Uncle Sam proud, featuring star-spangled vehicles, people and animals parading down Main Street surrounded by huge crowds.

It is open to all and attracts everything from classic vehicles to drum and bugle corps, to an array of furry friends — not to mention regular appearances by alpacas from nearby Apple Hill Farm. Most participants follow the time-honored tradition of tossing candy to spectators.

The Main Street parade starts at Lees-McRae College and ends in Tate-Evans Town Park, where the Party in the Park and Duck Race begin at approximately 12 noon.

The Party in the Park includes food vendors, old-fashioned games and inflatables. Try your luck in the famed duck race, with hundreds of rubber ducks floating toward the finish line. Proceeds from the Duck Race go to the local Kiwanis Club.

Elevate your July Fourth experience in the resort town of Banner Elk in the Blue Ridge Mountains.