(Gatlinburg, TN) The 4th of July will be an exciting twenty-four hours in Gatlinburg starting at 12:01 a.m. with the Gatlinburg 4th of July Midnight Parade, then young and old will enjoy the River Raft Regatta at noon and end the holiday with a bang with the 2nd Annual 4th of July Fireworks over downtown Gatlinburg.

For the 30th year, Gatlinburg will kick off the nation's 4th of July celebrations with the "nation's first 4th of July parade" at 12:01 a.m. Sunday night July 3. Some 80,000 to 100,000 spectators are expected to line the streets through Downtown Gatlinburg from traffic light #1A to traffic light #10.

The theme for this year's parade will be "White Diamonds at Night" and the parkway will come alive with sparkling costumes and decorations for this year's diamond anniversary celebration. The parade will feature the Knoxville Pipe and Drum Corp, lighted floats, 18 giant helium balloons, and tributes to the United States military.

Gatlinburg's own "Gatlinbear," star of Gatlinburg's recent television campaign, will be Grand Marshal.

The Gatlinburg 4th of July Midnight Parade has it's beginnings in 1976 as part of the country's Bicentennial Celebration.

George Hawkins, current Special Events Manager for the Gatlinburg Department of Tourism, was a newly elected city commissioner in 1976 when he made the suggestion to have a 4th of July parade.

"I told the city commission that there's was going to be one catch. The parade would start at 12:01 a.m. the morning of July 4th. They all thought I was crazy," remarked Hawkins.

Since then it has grown into a nationally recognized parade and was recently selected as one of the Top 20 Events in the South by the Southeast Tourism Society.

The River Raft Regatta will return again this year to the Little Pigeon River through Gatlinburg. Any floatable object is allowed into the event. The event will start at the Christus Garden Bridge where contestants can place any object that can float into the river for a quick race to the Ripley's Aquarium Bridge. Entries can be as simple as a plastic bottle or as elaborate as a model pirate ship. Prizes will be awarded to different categories including Most Creative, Trash and Judges Choice. Registration is free.

Gatlinburg will close out the Independence Day Celebrations with the last 4th of July Fireworks in the nation beginning at 11:59 p.m. on July 4th. The show will be produced by Pyro Shows of Lafollette, Tenn., which has produced fireworks shows for Boomsday in Knoxville, Titans
football games, and the 4th of July Fireworks Show in Washington, D.C. Spectators will be able to view the fireworks from downtown Gatlinburg from traffic light #3 to traffic light #8 and on East Parkway to traffic light 1A.

The fireworks display will also be synchronized to a musical score that will be broadcast locally on MIX 105.5 FM.

"We want everyone along the Parkway and those in the mountain-side cabins and chalets who can see the fireworks to be able to enjoy the choreographed show by tuning their radios to 105.5 FM," said Hawkins.

For more information on Gatlinburg events, attractions or accommodations, please call the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-568-4748.