July 4 Fireworks Plus Drone Show — 2026-07-03

Today's forecast: sunny, high near 102 degrees. Northwest wind 2 to 7 mph.

Good morning. Friday, July 3. Calvin Ball's annual July 4th fireworks celebration lands tomorrow — this year with an illuminating drone show added. The Broken Land Parkway ramp to southbound US 29 closes through the summer, so plan around it. Heat alerts stay in effect through the holiday weekend. And Howard County libraries are closed Saturday for Independence Day. This is your morning brief for Howard County.

County Executive Calvin Ball's annual Howard County July 4th fireworks celebration is tomorrow. This year's edition adds an illuminating drone show to the traditional fireworks display. Venue, timing, and any road closures are in the county news release from June 30 at howardcountymd.gov. Show is Saturday night.

The Broken Land Parkway ramp to southbound US 29 in Howard County closes through the summer. WBFF has the closure details and detour information. If you commute through the Broken Land interchange, plan alternate routes for the duration.

Today at the library. East Columbia hosts the Teen Summer Programming Block, eleven to three thirty. Meet with a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist from the Howard County Health Department at Elkridge, eleven thirty to five. Memory Cafe at Miller, two to four — an afternoon program for families navigating dementia. Bilingual All Together Now in Spanish and English at East Columbia at ten thirty. Cuentos en Español y Tiempo de Juego at Elkridge at eleven thirty. Note: Howard County libraries are closed tomorrow, Saturday, for Independence Day.

Also today. Calvin Ball broke ground last month on Howard County's first Bus Rapid Transit stop, capping a decade-long push to expand high-frequency bus service. Howard County formally joined the Dementia Friendly America Network this spring. Columbia Association marked 25 years of its CA Points program, awarding more than one million dollars in family memberships and programs to 712 students. Howard County earned the highest triple-A credit rating from all three major rating agencies — the top of the fiscal scale, which translates to lower borrowing costs on county debt. HCPSS is seeking members for its new Standing Policy Advisory Committee — deadline Friday, August 21. The Howard County Finance Department refreshed its Tax Credits page at howardcountymd.gov — worth a look if you're checking eligibility for the homeowner credit or any new program. Finance also rolled out Property Tax Digital Communications, a way to receive property tax notices online instead of by mail. At Savage at ten: Little Learners Summer Senses for ages three to five. At East Columbia at ten: Stitches and Stories. At East Columbia at two: Picture Book Parade for ages two to five. At Glenwood at two: All Together Now, all ages. Heat alerts remain in effect through the Independence Day weekend — full guidance is on the county health page. And a reminder: Howard County libraries are closed Saturday for the holiday.

This weekend. Howard County's fireworks celebration lands tomorrow, Saturday July 4, with the new drone show and the traditional fireworks. Full details are at howardcountymd.gov. Looking to Baltimore City: Baltimore Fishbowl has the full weekend roundup — Fourth of July celebrations across the city, plus a Seafood and Bluegrass Festival and campfire-themed events.

On the market: a new listing at 12020 Little Patuxent Parkway, Unit 12050C in Columbia — zip twenty-one-oh-four-four. Details are on Realtor.com. That corridor sits along the Little Patuxent Parkway spine that runs from Downtown Columbia toward Owen Brown.

Here's what I'm watching this weekend. Fireworks and the new drone show tomorrow night — the county quietly upgrading a familiar tradition without trashing it. Broken Land Parkway ramp to southbound twenty-nine is going to make Columbia's evening commute annoying through August, so budget the extra ten minutes now. Heat is going to be brutal Saturday. If you're going out for fireworks, get to your spot early, bring water, and know where you're parking. Libraries closed Saturday. Have a good Fourth. Back Monday morning.

That's today's brief. Full edition at hocobrief.com — newsletter, archive, send tips. I'm at the desk. Enjoy the Fourth. Back Monday morning.