As the fourth state to join the Union on January 2, 1788, Georgia takes its Independence Day celebrations seriously. On July 4th, residents of small towns across the Peach State let their collective hair down and throw some of the most memorable National Holidays in the South. For Georgians, the Fourth of July holds special significance as Revolutionary War history runs deep here, with significant battles fought and local signatories of the Declaration of Independence risking everything for liberty.

Today, this legacy is celebrated with colorful parades and firework displays, concerts and singalongs, and community gatherings that celebrate both national pride and local traditions. For residents and tourists alike, these small towns throw the kind of authentic American experiences that truly unite the nation.

Dahlonega

Located in North Georgia, Dahlonega is a mountain town that transforms into a hub of patriotism on July 4th when its Historic Square hosts one of the region’s most exciting Independence Day celebrations. The Dahlonega 4th of July Festival kicks off early, with the Firecracker 5K run starting at the Visitors Center at 8 a.m. sharp. This is followed by the Dahlonega Car Club Car Show on Courthouse Hill next to the Lumpkin County Administration Building.

Feeling peckish? Food trucks will be set up from noon onwards around Hancock Park, offering everything from delicious Georgia barbecue grub to traditional fair foods. Other highlights include a reading of the Declaration of Independence, followed by the popular Patriotic Downtown Parade from the Lumpkin County Courthouse and around the town’s central square.

Traveling with children? They’ll have fun at the Kids Adventure Zone in Hancock Park with face painting, caricatures, and fun games to participate in, while as night falls, musicians take to the stage for free concerts. Afterwards, grab a spot at the University of North Georgia’s Drill Field for the event’s grand finale fireworks display.

You’ll also want to pop into the Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site in the old courthouse. Built in 1836, the interior of the building and its fascinating Gold Rush-era displays are worth seeing. Dahlonega General Store is also on the square and stocks patriotic merchandise and old-fashioned treats that are perfect for parade watching.

Helen

Famous for having rebranded itself as a Bavarian alpine village, Helen proves that folksy European architecture and American patriotism go hand-in-hand. Here, the fun centers around the field behind the Alpine Village Shoppes, where families spread blankets and set up chairs for optimal firework viewing.

Earlier in the day, you can tube down the Chattahoochee River, which runs directly through downtown Helen. Cool River Tubing and Helen Tubing offer full-service tubing trips, a refreshing way to beat the Georgia heat before evening festivities. Restaurants like Paul’s Steakhouse and Hofbrauhaus Helen offer outdoor seating with fireworks views, which kicks off between 9 and 9:30 p.m.

If you’re planning on staying a night or two, schedule time to explore Unicoi State Park. Just two miles from downtown, the park features a beach, a 53-acre lake, hiking trails through the mountains, and the pretty Anna Ruby Falls. The Hardman Farm State Historic Site is also worth seeing and offers free tours to military members and their families on July 4th. As for accommodations, a stay at the centrally located Castle Inn, a medieval-style hotel, places you next to the river and in the heart of the alpine village.

Madison

Known as Georgia’s Antebellum City, Madison brings plenty of Southern charm to its Independence Day festivities. These occur a day early with a free Independence Day Picnic and Concert on July 3rd at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. From 5:30 to 9 p.m., families can bring picnics and blankets to enjoy a community gathering on the lawn, followed by a spectacular fireworks display put on by Morgan County Parks & Recreation. Pre-event activities, including face painting and bouncy inflatables, start at 6 p.m.

Celebrations continue on July 4th at the annual Fourth of July BBQ in nearby Bostwick, with free live music at the Rutledge Summer Concert Series. The celebrations conclude on July 5th with a Local Heroes celebration at Farmview Market’s Farmer’s Market, honoring law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, and military personnel with a free BBQ, live music, and plenty of local produce and artisan crafts for sale.

Be sure to spend time exploring Madison’s historic downtown. Featuring over 100 antebellum and Victorian-era homes, the Madison Historic District also includes architectural gems like Heritage Hall and Bonar Hall. Town Park, with its gazebo, serves as a gathering spot throughout the celebration. If you want to make a weekend of it, check out the rates at the James Madison Inn, a classy hotel located close to the celebrations, or the Brady Inn, a restored Victorian home turned bed and breakfast that’s just a short stroll from historic downtown Madison.

St. Marys

Georgia’s prettiest coastal town, St. Marys, celebrates its 55th annual Independence Day Festival with a variety of exciting events stretching throughout the day. Highlights of this family-oriented event include early morning runs, as well as a Kids Fun Run. Arts and crafts vendors will have set up in St. Mary’s Waterfront Park, where most of the day’s action takes place. The much-anticipated themed parade down Osborne Street starts at 10 a.m. and promises to be a highlight of the day with floats and costumed participants representing local organizations and businesses.

Music will also be a highlight, with concerts being held throughout the day at the St. Marys Waterfront Park Amphitheater. Quirky fun includes a watermelon eating contest as well as a seed spitting contest (it’s true!). Fireworks get started at 9:15 (ish), with one of the best viewing spots being aboard the Cumberland Queen II. This replica riverboat offers a special Independence Day cruise departing at 7:30 p.m. for those wanting to view fireworks from the water (and book early, as this epic cruise sells out fast).

Even if you miss the July Fourth fun in St. Marys, this picturesque town serves as the gateway to Cumberland Island National Seashore, accessible via ferry from the downtown dock. The town’s historic district is also fun to explore, with highlights including the Orange Hall Gilman Cultural Center and the St. Marys Submarine Museum. As for accommodations, Spencer House Inn, a restored 1872 Victorian-era hotel, sits three blocks from Waterfront Park and provides elegant accommodations with period furnishings.

Tybee Island

Located just a short drive away from the old port city of Savannah, Tybee Island (Georgia’s northernmost barrier island) saves its biggest celebration for Independence Day. The main event, the popular Tybee Island July 4th Fireworks, is slated for a 9:15 p.m. launch from the Tybee Island Pier. This stunning waterfront pyrotechnics display can be viewed from any of the island’s eastern beaches, making this one of the most accessible fireworks shows in the state.

Before the evening sky gets lit up, Tybee Island offers a full day of activities. The morning kicks off with a community bike parade at 10 a.m., starting and ending at Memorial Park. North Beach, near the Tybee Island Light Station & Museum, provides calm waters for families to enjoy, while the South Beach area offers more waves and beach volleyball courts perfect for an older crowd.

The Tybee Pier and Pavilion serves as celebration central, with the pavilion hosting bands and DJs throughout the day. Tybrisa Street’s bars and restaurants, such as The Crab Shack and Spanky’s Beachside, offer outdoor seating and live music throughout the day and night. Also fun, the Tybee Island Marine Science Center runs special programs, including kids’ sea camps and workshops.

For accommodations with views of Tybee Island’s July 4th fireworks, check for availability at DeSoto Beach Hotel, Tybee’s only full-service beachfront, popular for its coastal views and proximity to the pier. The Lighthouse Inn Bed & Breakfast, located in a 1910 beach house near the lighthouse, is another good bet and offers a more intimate setting close to North Beach activities; it even provides bicycles if you feel like joining the morning parade.

These five Georgia towns certainly prove that the best Fourth of July celebrations don’t require big-city budgets. From Dahlonega’s mountain backdrop to Tybee Island’s ocean views, each of these small communities adds a unique twist to America’s birthday party. Whether you prefer parades down historic main streets or pyrotechnics over the Atlantic Ocean, these Georgia towns deliver legendary Independence Day experiences.

Santa Fe Christian recently announced the return of alumni Graham Saber as head coach of the boys water polo team — a full circle moment for the former standout athlete whose journey began at SFC.

Saber’s SFC roots run deep. He was part of a gritty team that trained in backyard pools and laid the groundwork for one of the most legendary seasons in SFC water polo history. In his senior year, Saber led the Eagles to a 25-7 record and a historic playoff run in CIF’s top division, including a dramatic upset over #1-ranked La Jolla — a comeback still remembered in San Diego water polo circles. The Eagles fell just short in the CIF Final against perennial powerhouse The Bishop’s School, according to a news release.

That season, Saber rewrote the SFC record books, setting single-season marks in goals (160), assists (102), and steals (158). His performance earned him All-American honors, All-CIF First Team, Union-Tribune All-Academic Team, and North County Times Player of the Year.

Saber continued his collegiate career at Pepperdine University before transferring to UC San Diego, where he helped the Tritons capture their first conference title in five years. As a senior, he netted 83 goals — sixth-most in UCSD history — and was recognized as an ACWPC All-American, All-WWPA Tournament First Team, All-NCAA Tournament First Team, and WWPA Player of the Week. He finished the season with 16 hat tricks and scored multiple goals in 22 straight games.

Now back at SFC, Coach Saber brings not only elite playing experience and tactical acumen but also a mission-driven coaching philosophy.

“Coaching isn’t just about the scoreboard — though make no mistake, we’re here to compete. It’s about forging men of grit, discipline, and unshakable faith,” said Saber in the news release. “In a world desperate for strong, God-fearing leaders, we’re building warriors who play with fire, lead with integrity, and honor Christ in everything they do. That’s the mission.”

Also joining Saber on the pool deck is Jonny Haahr, his 2006 co-captain and the player who hit the game-winning shot in the legendary La Jolla upset. A multi-sport athlete and valedictorian of SFC’s Class of 2007, Haahr went on to attend Cornell University, where he competed in javelin and served as vice president of The Navigators Christian fellowship. He returns to SFC with a sharp mind, strong leadership roots, and a heart for mentoring the next generation.

“I was at the games where Coach Saber and Haahr shocked the county, and watching them play was supernatural and electric,” said SFC Athletic Director Doug Miller in the news release. “Our players and our community will rally around these SFC legends and I’m confident the excitement for this sport will explode. More importantly, these new coaches are also some of the most grounded Godly leaders of young men, and I’m committed to their success in that capacity as well.”

BYU’s James Corrigan won the 3,000-meter steeplechase Friday night at the NCAA track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, taking the lead with less than 200 meters to go and pulling away from a field loaded with Kenyans to notch another win for Steeplechase U.

Corrigan recorded a time of 8:16.41 to become the fourth-fastest collegian ever. In the process, he beat the event’s second-fastest collegian ever, Louisville’s Geoffrey Kirwa.

The first two laps of the 7 ½-lap race were slow and tactical, but then Iowa State’s Joash Ruto, a native Kenyan, accelerated and opened up a 10-meter gap on the field and the real racing had begun.

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Kirwa, another Kenyan, pulled the field to close the gap on Ruto over the next couple of laps, with Corrigan running fifth. With about 900 meters to go, Kirwa passed Ruto, and with 800 meters to go he accelerated and opened up a gap. Corrigan was some 10 meters back, still in fifth.

“James has the talent to kick off of a slow or fast pace. Any scenario is going to be OK if he maintains contact,” said BYU coach Ed Eyestone.

“With two laps to go, I was mildly concerned because he was running fifth in traffic and (Kirwa) was opening a gap.”

Corrigan swung wide on the backstretch to skirt traffic and put himself in position to run down Kirwa, but with one lap to go he had slipped even farther behind, some 15 meters or more.

Eyestone had seen Corrigan’s closing speed at the end of workouts and was hopeful as he watched from the stands. Sure enough, Corrigan began to quicken his pace and was gaining ground as they headed into the backstretch.

“He kept his head and the last 300 meters you could see he was cutting into the lead,” said the coach.

Kirwa and Corrigan reached the final water jump together, but Corrigan maintained his momentum better coming out of it. Kirwa trailed by only one stride as they turned into the homestretch, but Corrigan pulled away with 50 meters to go.

It was an astonishing win on many levels for Corrigan, the ninth-place finisher in the 2024 NCAA championships. Earlier this week, Eyestone surveyed the competition in the steeplechase at nationals and noted, “It might be more difficult to get top three at the NCAAs than at (the U.S. national championships).”

Another coach told ESPN, “This is shaping up to be one of the best steeplechase fields ever at these championships.”

That was largely because the field was dominated by Kenyans, who are to distance running — and especially the steeplechase — what Juilliard students are to music.

Kenyans have won nine of the last 11 Olympic finals and 19 total medals. They make up nine of the 13 fastest steeplechasers of all-time.

At this week’s NCAA track and field championships, Kenyans swept the first five places in the 10,000-meter run and the first two places in the 5,000. The only race they couldn’t win was the steeplechase, even though they represented seven of the 12 finalists.

“It was a little daunting in that respect,” said Corrigan afterward. “It was definitely the fastest race I’ve been in during a major competition.

“I was happy that I was still able to win with a hot pace like that. The Kenyans have a great heritage (in the steeplechase), but BYU has a good heritage, too.”

BYU has become Steeplechase U. Five BYU athletes have won the steeplechase — Josh McAdams in 2006, Kyle Perry in 2009 and, more recently, Courtney Wayment in 2022, Kenneth Rooks in 2023 and now Corrigan in 2025.

BYU’s Lexy Lowry, who will compete in the final of the women’s steeplechase Saturday at these NCAA championships, is the fifth-fastest collegian ever and will be joined in the final by teammate Taylor Lovell.

Rooks and Corrigan finished first and third, respectively, at last summer’s U.S. Olympic trials to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team that competed in Paris. Rooks won the silver medal in the steeplechase, delivering one of the biggest surprises of the Olympic track competition.

The win by Corrigan was worth 10 team points and played a big part in putting BYU in a three-way tie for 11th place, with 19 points for the championships.

BYU’s other scorers were Danny Bryant (sixth in the shot put), Ben Barton (sixth in the decathlon), BYU’s 4 x 400-meter relay team (seventh) and Creed Thompson (eighth in the 10,000-meter run).

Competing in the last event of the men’s competition, the BYU relay team of Eli Hazlett, Josh Taylor, Jonah Heimuli and Trey Jackson produced a school-record time of 3:02.51, finishing one place behind Alabama and one place ahead of USC.

Friday’s win will likely mark the end of Corrigan’s collegiate career, even though he has another year of NCAA eligibility remaining. He already has an NIL deal with Nike and shoe companies will offer him a professional contract the moment he declares that he is finished with collegiate competition..

“I’ve got options now,” said Corrigan. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I’ll talk to my coaches and my agent and we’ll shop around a little.”

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 14, 2025) – 2024 Olympian Dana Rettke returns to the U.S. Women’s National Team lineup for week two of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), June 18-22, in Belgrade, Serbia.

Libero Lexi Rodriguez and middle blocker Brionne Butler will also make their first appearances this year. Rodriguez is making her VNL debut, although she competed for the senior team at the 2024 Pan American Cup Final Six. Butler made her senior national team debut in 2019 and was on VNL rosters in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

The VNL brings together the world’s top 18 teams for three action-packed weeks of preliminary play, with each team competing in four matches per week. Only the top eight teams will earn a spot in the Final Round, where a VNL title will be on the line.

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Returning for week two are outside hitters Sara Franklin, Roni Jones-Perry and Logan Eggleston; middles Molly McCage and Amber Igiede; opposites Logan Lednicky, Madi Skinner and Olivia Babcock, Setters Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres and Ella Powel, and libero Morgan Hentz.

The U.S. Women are the reigning Olympic silver medalists and ranked No. 3 in the world. They have won the VNL three times (2018, ’19, ’21) since its inception in 2018. In 2024, they lost in the quarterfinals to eventual Olympic champion Italy, who will be their first opponent in Brazil.

U.S. Women’s Week Two Roster for 2025 VNL

U.S. Women’s Preliminary Roster for 2025 VNL
No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
7 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)
8 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
13 Amber Igiede (MB, 6-3, Baton Rouge, La., Univ. of Hawaii, Delta)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
24 Olivia Babcock (Opp, 6-4, Los Angeles, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
27 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Univ. of Washington, Delta)
28 Logan Lednicky (Opp, 6-3, Sugar Land, Texas, Univ. of Texas A&M, Lone Star)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
32 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)

Reserve
15 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

Coaches
Head Coach:  Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors:  William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham

Week 2 Schedule: Belgrade, Serbia (all times PDT)
Matches will be shown on VBTV, Big Ten Network and/or CBS Sports Network. Please check listings for BTN and CBSN.

June 18 at 11 a.m. vs. Serbia
June 19 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Poland
June 21 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Netherlands
June 22 at 7:30 a.m. vs. France

Week 1 Results: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 4 Italy def. USA, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 30-28)
June 5 Brazil def. USA, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19)
June 6 Czechia def. USA, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 27-25)
June 8 USA def Korea, 3-0 (25-13, 28-26, 25-17)

FIVE OF THE ENTRANTS had broken 70m (229-8) during the season, and each was a legitimate candidate to take the title. Three of them started strongly, Shelby Frank of Texas Tech taking the early lead with her 228-3 (69.59) opener. She was jumped a few throws later by Texas State’s Lara Roberts, who went 229-6 (69.97). Emma Robbins of Oklahoma State sat 3rd after her initial offering of 227-3 (69.27).

The other two contenders, ’23 champion Stephanie Ratcliffe and West Point cadet Emily Fink, stumbled a bit out of the gate, which was interesting because they probably had more at stake than the others. (Details to follow in  “Last Lap.”)

Fink was the first thrower in her flight, and she stepped in for round 2 determined to reach a distance that would at least guarantee her 6 throws. Unfortunately, she was called for a foul at the front of the ring. Her coach, Brian Woodbury, protested, but to no avail. One more misfire and she was done.

Frank notched another solid attempt, 227-4 (69.31), after which her coach, Cliff Felkins, guaranteed she would throw 71m if she just kept plugging away.

Roberts improved to 231-0 (70.42), and Ratcliffe jumped in the fray with a 228-6 (69.64) toss that vaulted her to 2nd.

Round 3 began with Fink launching a throw that looked to be 70m, but once again she was called for a foul. Video replay showed her heels hovering over the top of the ring as she released the implement, but they did not appear to touch down. Once again, Woodbury protested, and once again he was denied. It was a devastating end to a remarkable college career. Woodbury believes that Fink is talented enough to be an Olympian. “If she can throw 71m taking 19 credits and sleeping 4 hours a night,” he asked, “what could she do if she trained like a normal thrower?” Stay tuned.

Frank, plugging away as directed, hit 229-4 (69.90) that round to knock Ratcliffe to 3rd. This left Roberts in the lead and Robbins in 4th.

In round 4, Ratcliffe made her move, dropping a 234-2 (71.37) season’s best to take the lead.

There were no more changes in the standings until round 6 when Frank, still plugging, popped a 233-1 (71.05) PR to jump into 2nd and make her coach look like a genius. “Felkins told me to have faith and go in and just move the ball,” she explained afterwards. “I smiled before I got in the ring, just thankful to be here at my last national meet. Then I got in and moved the ball. And it went 71m!”

Roberts, the final thrower of the comp, could not answer, and finished 3rd. She’ll be off to the World University Games this summer, representing Australia, and has 2 more years of eligibility, as does Cal’s Giavonna Meeks, who came out of the first flight and smashed a PR of 226-2 (68.94) to take 5th behind Robbins.

WOMEN’S HAMMER RESULTS

(June 12)

1. Stephanie Ratcliffe’ (Ga-Aus) 234-2 (71.37)

(217-7, 228-6, 221-6, 234-2, 229-0, 229-5) (66.33, 69.64, 67.51, 71.37, 69.81, 69.92);

2. Shelby Frank (TxT) 233-1 (71.05) PR (10, x AmC)

(228-3, 227-4, 229-4, 219-0, 221-10, 233-1) (69.59, 69.31, 69.90, 66.77, 67.63, 71.05);

3. **Lara Roberts’ (TxSt-Aus) 231-0 (70.42)

(229-6, 231-0, 225-1, 220-9, 220-0, 218-10) (69.97, 70.42, 68.61, 67.28, 67.07, 66.70);

4. Emma Robbins (OkSt) 227-3 (69.27)

(227-3, 215-4, f, 217-3, f, 222-8) (69.27, 65.63, f, 66.23, f, 67.87);

5. **Giavonna Meeks (Cal) 226-2 (68.94) PR

(203-3, 219-4, 185-1, 220-5, 226-2, 215-0) (61.95, 66.87, 56.41, 67.18, 68.94, 65.55);

6. Guðrún Hallgrímsdóttir’ (VaC-Ice) 225-3 (68.66)

(220-6, 225-3, 219-3, 219-3, 216-6, 212-5) (67.20, 68.66, 66.84, 66.83, 65.98, 64.75);

7. Kenna Curry (ND) 223-7 (68.16) PR

(223-7, f, 205-0, 213-9, 213-6, f) (68.16, f, 62.49, 65.17, 65.09, f);

8. Chloe Lindeman (Wi) 222-6 (67.82)

(222-1, 218-10, 222-6, 215-6, f, 213-9) (67.70, 66.70, 67.82, 65.68, f, 65.15);

9. **Emilia Kolokotroni’ (Harv-Cyp) 222-6 (67.82) PR; 10. ***Valentina Savva’ (Cal-Cyp) 219-3 (66.84); 11. **Mariana Pestana’ (VaT-Por) 217-10 (66.41); 12. Monique Hardy (KsSt) 213-9 (65.17); 13. *Kali Terza (KennSt) 213-2 (64.98); 14. Annika Kelly’ (Va-Est) 212-10 (64.87); 15. Chioma Njoku (Md) 212-9 (64.86); 16. *Paola Bueno’ (Lib-Mex) 212-6 (64.78); 17. ***Marie Rougetet’ (MsSt-Fra) 212-2 (64.66); 18. **Audrey Jacobs’ (Cal-Neth) 209-1 (63.74); 19. Kassidy Gallagher (Ok) 208-3 (63.47); 20. **Kennedy Clarke (Ok) 207-10 (63.36); 21. **Kajsa Borrman’ (CoSt-Swe) 207-3 (63.19); 22. Emily Fink (Army) 204-1 (62.20); 23. **Kate Powers (Ky) 197-2 (60.10);… 3f—**Skylar Soli (Ms).

Arkansas track and field sprinter Jordan Anthony is in a class of his own.