ORLANDO, FL — With Independence Day fast approaching, it's time to find out where to celebrate in and around Orlando. Events in the area include fireworks, festivals and other Fourth of July fun.

To help you fill your 4th of July calendar, Patch has put together a guide to events happening in Orlando and the surrounding area.

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Celebrations on July 4, 2024

What: 4th of July Celebration at Avalon Park 2024

Where: Downtown Avalon Park

When: July 4, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Festivities include a 5K run, bike parade, bounce house park, apple pie baking contest and fireworks. For more event information visit: Avalon Park 4th of July Celebration 2024.

What: Spectacular celebration for Independence Day 2024

Where: Celebration Town Center, 610 Sycamore Street

When: July 4, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Enjoy live music from DJ City Beat and Audio Exchange. There will be a fireworks display at 9:20 p.m. For more event information visit: Celebration's Independence Day Spectacular 2024

What: Kissimmee's Monumental 4th of July Celebration 2024

Where: Kissimmee Lakefront Park

When: July 4, 7 to 9 p.m.

Festivities include live entertainment on the Festival Lawn, KUA Kid's Zone on the Veterans Lawn, food trucks, concession stands and the grand fireworks display at 9 p.m. For more event information visit: Kissimmee's Monumental 4th of July Celebration 2024

What: Orlando Fountain Fireworks 2024

Where: Lake Eola Park, Orlando

When: July 4, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

This 47th annual event includes live entertainment, family-friendly fun, and food and beverages available for purchase from a variety of vendors. At 9:10 p.m., the sky will light up with a spectacular fireworks display, complete with a live performance by the Orlando Concert Band. For more event information, visit: Fireworks at the Fountain 2024

What: 4th of July Celebration in Winter Park 2024

Where: Central Park and West Meadow, Winter Park

When: July 4, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Festivities include opening remarks by Mayor Sheil DeCiccio and the National Anthem, musical performances by students from the School of Rock Winter Park and the Bach Festival Choir and Brass Ensemble, a kids' zone, a fairground and the annual bike parade. For more event information visit: Winter Park's 4th of July Celebration 2024

What: Parade and Festival for the 4th of July in Geneva 2024

Where: Rural Heritage Center, 101 E. Main Street, Geneva

When: July 4, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

There will be vendors throughout the day, vintage airplanes will fly over the stage at 9:45 a.m., a parade at 10:00 a.m., a contest for favorite floats, live entertainment and much more. For more event information visit: Geneva 4th of July Parade & Festival 2024

Today, Americans celebrate the birth of a new nation with fireworks, parades, concerts, family reunions and barbecues. But these celebrations date back centuries before Independence Day was established as a federal holiday in 1941.

In the crucial summer of 1776, the pre-revolutionary celebrations in honour of King George III's birthday were replaced by mock funerals in order to create a symbolic break with the Crown.

It was an exciting time in Philadelphia: The Continental Congress voted to secede from the Crown and two days later, on July 4, the original 13 colonies – New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia – adopted the Declaration of Independence.

The first annual commemoration of the nation's independence took place in Philadelphia on July 4, 1777, while the Revolutionary War was still in progress. Fireworks have been a part of the Fourth of July celebration since the first celebration in Philadelphia.