Celebrating the Fourth of July 2025 in Charming Middletown, Virginia

Welcome to Middletown, Virginia, a town rich in tradition and history, one generally providing business, educational, religious, and social opportunities to the surrounding countryside as well as serving the needs of travelers in the valley since it was established in 1796. Middletown earned a place in our national history through it's association with major historical figures in both the colonial and Civil War eras. It is Virginia's official gateway to Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park. What better place to celebrate America and Independence Day?!

Follow along as we dive into our fun filled day!

The afternoon started at Italian Touch for an early dinner, we wanted to eat before enjoying the town's Parade. We were surprised to see that outside of the restaurant a few former players from the now named Washington Commanders (they'll always be the Redskins to us!) were hanging out with the Mayor of Middletown signing autographs. We jumped right in line to snag a picture with Ryan Kerrigan and Clinton Portis who also happened to be the Grand Marshalls of the parade!

Back to the food, Italian Touch is a local Italian restaurant that has some of the best service around. They were delivering pizzas to folks sitting on the street watching the parade, if that's not top tier customer service I don't know what is! Our group enjoyed a few subs, gluten free (yay for accommodating options) cheese ravioli, and chicken tenders but the shining star was the large pepperoni and bacon New York style pizza, to say it was delicious would be an understatement. Highly recommend this place if you're in town.

Tossing in another recommendation, we didn't get to enjoy this place while we were visiting but we definitely want to go back. Vault and Cellar brings local and regional foods, an immense bourbon focused whiskey list, regional wines and beers, and handcrafted cocktails. Their goal is to create fun, creative seasonal offerings utilizing local farms and vendors that ensure ingredients are top notch and incredibly fresh, plus, who doesn't love to support local businesses? Kari, the owner and head chef is someone I grew up with and I couldn't be more proud of the work she's doing. Check out their events page for upcoming fun, there is something for everyone!

The Parade!

After dinner, we popped right outside to sit along main street to watch the town parade that started exactly on time at 5:00pm. It was just as wholesome as you'd think. Tractors, Horses, Antique Cars, Miss Virginia, football heroes, candy being tossed to the kids...the list goes on and on. It was good ole' fashioned fun!

Community Vibes and Fireworks

As the Parade concluded, we strolled down main street to the giant field where the rest of the festivities were being held. There were local vendors selling funnel cakes, shaved ice, BBQ and handmade goods.

Eclectic Company kept the music going all night, they're a local Northern Virginia band that, well, is eclectic. They play a variety of music from all decades, including some of their own original songs. Check them out on Instagram Eclectic Company (@eclecticcompanylive) and Facebook Eclectic Company! A bonus show, there were skydivers that landed only feet from where everyone was sitting which was awesome!

The fireworks display was magical and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful night!

The night didn't end there...

We decided to pack it up after the Fireworks and take a spontaneous road trip an hour down Rt. 81 to the new Buc-ee's in Rockingham, Virginia. We had folks with us that had never experienced the joy that is Buc-ee's so it was a very necessary late night run. Buc-ee's in Virginia just opened on June 30th, BTP was there for all the action.

Check out our Buc-ee's blog for more!

Wrapping Up!

Beyond the Postcard is all about enjoying the "In Between", we love small towns, we firmly believe they're the foundation that keeps the larger tourist attractions alive. Virginia is beautiful and Middletown is no exception. Would absolutely recommend taking a day or weekend trip to visit the Historic markers that this town has to offer and enjoy some amazing food and hospitality while you're at it. If you decide to stay for a few nights, check out the elegance and charm of the Wayside Inn, it's been operating since 1797. If you're just passing through, check out Larrick's Tavern just inside the Inn. You can find a ton of great information at Virginia.org for more on Middletown and surrounding areas.