KEY TAKEAWAYS: Free Happy 3rd of July celebration takes place July 3 from 6-9:15 p.m. at City Park‘s Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn. Event features live performances by local musicians, culminating with fireworks at 9 p.m. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from several local vendors. The event commemorates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.   City Park Conservancy will host its annual Happy 3rd of July celebration on Friday, July 3, offering a free community event featuring live music, food vendors and a fireworks display as part of this year’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. The event will take place from 6-9:15 p.m. on the Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn at New Orleans City Park. Organizers said the annual celebration has become one of the park’s signature summer events, drawing residents and visitors ahead of the Independence Day holiday. The entertainment lineup begins at 6 p.m. with Girls Play Trumpets Too under the artistic direction of Troy Sawyer, followed by Alexis the Sanity, The New Orleans Mystics, Robin Barnes performing the national anthem and the Marine Forces Reserve Rock Band. A fireworks show over the Peristyle is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from vendors including Chick-fil-A, Dat Dog, French Truck Coffee, Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls and La Cocinita. Friends of City Park members will receive access to dedicated restroom facilities at City Putt with proof of membership. Guests also can visit the Liberty Lounge, presented by Southern Eagle, which will offer shaded seating and beverage service. City Park Conservancy, the nonprofit organization that manages the day-to-day operations of the 1,300-acre park in partnership with the City Park Improvement Association, oversees park programming, fundraising and membership. According to the conservancy, City Park welcomes approximately 16 million visits annually, making it one of the nation’s largest and most visited urban parks. ...read more read less