Since my first time, many years ago, spending the 4th of July in Scranton, it’s been hard to not be in Scranton on the 4th. If you are unfamiliar with Scranton, PA, it rests in a valley with mountains rising on all sides. If you are on the top of a hill within the valley, you will have a great view of the mountains. Scranton is also close to many lakes, rivers, and walking/ hiking trails. Scranton is also home to many local businesses!
Here are 3 reasons why you need to spend the 4th of July in Scranton, PA!

1. Summer activities for any type of weather!

This past 4th of July weekend, there was a ton of rain in the forecast. However, it ended up not raining most of the days but it was muggier and hotter than anticipated. Many years, July is the time of year when you can plan on decent weather in Scranton. Regardless of the weather, Scranton and Northeastern PA have a ton of summer activity options that make it worth the trip, no matter what the weather will be.

For a 4th of July weekend with beautiful weather, there are so many lakes where you can lay on the beach, walk/ hike, or boat during the day! You can get to Lackawanna State Park and Gouldsboro State Park within 30 minutes for a lake day! You can also rent an Airbnb in one of the private lake communities for a more full lake weekend!
Montage Mountain has a waterpark, and Nay Aug can provide a great place for a walk/ hike or a great place to picnic!

For a 4th of July weekend with iffy weather, Scranton and the surrounding areas have many indoor activity options! I personally love all the coffee shops in Scranton, which provide a great way to support a local business, get a good cup of coffee or brunch, and a place to hang out, read a book, or meet someone new! Scranton also has the Scranton Shakespeare Festival, which has performances running all summer long! My parents went to Othello over the 4th weekend and could not rave enough about it! Dickson City has the Viewmont Mall and a movie theatre. Kalahari is less than 40 minutes away from Scranton if you crave the summer waterpark experience, but the weather is not so great.

2. People in Scranton show up for the holiday!

There is something to be said about spending a holiday in a place where people are excited to celebrate! The people in Scranton love to show up in their red, white, and blue and celebrate! Lots of people have their own celebrations with family and friends, barbequing, hanging out at the lake, or lighting off their own firework display.

Scranton always puts on the Scrantastic Spectacular, which happens downtown with local vendors! This is also where they light off a huge firework display while the Scranton Philharmonic plays to the fireworks! The event is always a great way to get good food and experience the holiday!

Though many businesses/ people show up for the holiday, there are still businesses that remain open on the 4th itself, making it easy to still experience the city even on the 4th!

3. There is no better place to watch fireworks!

Because Scranton is in a valley, watching fireworks is unlike anywhere I have ever been. Depending on where you are in the city, you are able to witness fireworks displays across the entire valley. It is magical and hard to describe!
The night of the Scrantastic Spectacular is a great night to find a place overlooking the city to watch the fireworks. If the Scrantactic Spectacular isn’t on the 4th itself, on the 4th, finding a spot overlooking the city when it gets dark is a must! Because so many people in Scranton go all out celebrating the holiday, you can see tons of fireworks displays across the entire valley!

Pro tip: a top of a public parking garage will do the trick, especially if it overlooks a large section of the valley!

Though Scranton, PA, might not be the first place you would think to spend your 4th of July weekend, I recommend you think about it while planning your next 4th weekend! I promise you won’t regret spending a weekend full of 4th celebrations, good food, and great fireworks displays!
Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸