Fun Before the 4th 2026: Mequon Fireworks and Parade

Family Fun Before the Fourth in Mequon

Mequon and Thiensville don't wait for the Fourth — they kick off Independence Day a full week early. Family Fun Before the Fourth turns Thiensville Village Park into a day-long block party of parades, water ski shows, live music and fireworks, and in 2026 it doubles as a hometown salute to America's 250th birthday.

When is Family Fun Before the Fourth?

Family Fun Before the Fourth runs Saturday, June 27, 2026, opening with a parade at 10:30 a.m. and stretching all the way to fireworks at dusk. Everything happens at Thiensville Village Park, 250 Elm St., Thiensville. Bring your own blankets and chairs, and plan to claim a shady spot early. The whole event is one of the marquee dates in our complete guide to the Fourth of July in Ozaukee County — and if you're feeling ambitious, the same Saturday brings the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival just up the road.

The parade route and free ice cream

Roads along the route close at 9:45 a.m., and the parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. near the Frank L. Weyenberg Library on Cedarburg Road, winding north on Main Street through downtown Thiensville and ending at Village Park. Kids get free ice cream at the park once the last float rolls by, which is the perfect reason to head straight into the festivities.

All-day entertainment schedule

The park stays busy from late morning until the final firework fades. Here's how the day shapes up:

• 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. — Face painting

• 12:30 – 4 p.m. — Mequon-Thiensville Little League All-Star Games

• 12:30 – 1 p.m. — Echoes of Camp Randall

• 1 – 1:30 p.m. — The Milwaukee Flyers tumbling team

• 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. — Badgerland Water Ski Show on the Milwaukee River

• 2:30 – 3 p.m. — Kids Splash Pad Party by DJ Run Productions

• 2:50 – 4 p.m. — Happy Hour ($1 off beer, wine and seltzers)

• 3 – 3:30 p.m. — BE Martial Arts

• 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. — Music by Van Jaeger

• 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. — Badgerland Water Ski Show (second show)

• 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. — Sons of Sconnie

• Dusk — Fireworks finale

Food and drinks

Show up hungry. The Thiensville-Mequon Rotary serves its World Famous Corn Roast, and Foxtown Brewing handles BBQ and beverages. Rounding out the vendors are Prime Minister, El Chino Taqueria, MIL-WOK-EE, Tots on the Street, Leonardo's Pizza, Flip's Mini Donuts, Laura's Gourmet Popcorn and Dr. Dawg.

Family Fun Before the Fourth is presented by Bank Five Nine, with planning by Cyganiak Planning Inc. Confirm the latest details at FamilyFunBeforeTheFourth.com.

The entertainment includes Badgerland Water Ski Show

Looking for events on the actual Fourth?

This celebration lands the Saturday before the holiday, so plenty of families pair it with a second outing on July 4 itself. The Whitefish Bay parade and fireworks is the closest big North Shore tradition, and our full Milwaukee North Shore Fourth of July guide maps out every nearby parade and fireworks show. If you'd rather light your own, Mequon issues personal-use fireworks permits — see our guide to where to buy fireworks in the Milwaukee area before you load up the minivan.

More Fourth of July guides for 2026

Browse our guides to the Fourth of July in Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Fox Point, Glendale and Bayside, or start with the complete Milwaukee North Shore Fourth of July guide.

Heading farther afield? Our Ozaukee County Fourth of July guide rounds up Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington and Saukville, while the greater Milwaukee guide maps every fireworks show across all six counties. For day trips and getaways, see our guides to the Fourth of July in Racine and Kenosha, the Madison area and Door County — or plan the whole state with our statewide Wisconsin Fourth of July guide.