Couple holding sparklers
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels

Lake Tobesofkee will host its 28th annual Sparks Over the Park Independence Day Celebration on Friday, July 4, 2025. The event brings together families for a day of swimming, boating and fireworks.

All three Lake Tobesofkee parks will open at 8 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. The parks include Claystone, Sandy Beach and Arrowhead.

Visitors can enjoy regular activities like swimming, boating, picnics and disc golf during the day. The Plum Tuckered band will perform live music from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Sandy Beach Park. Fireworks will begin at 9:15 p.m.

Sandy Beach Park offers the best view of the fireworks show. People at Claystone Park should go to the west end of the beach to see the display.

“We’re expecting a huge crowd of people on the lake and beaches throughout the holiday,” says Lake Tobesofkee Director Donald Bracewell. “It’s going to be a great day for our community to be at the lake, and we know people are going to have a great time enjoying the live music and show.”

Park admission costs $3 per person. Children ages 6 and under enter free. No alcohol or glass containers are allowed in the parks.

Safety Rules for Boaters

Lake officials stress the importance of following safety rules during the busy holiday.

Anyone born on or after January 1, 1998, must complete a Department of Natural Resources-approved boating safety class to operate boats or personal watercraft.

All boat passengers must have Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices that fit properly and remain easily accessible. Children under 13 must wear personal flotation devices at all times on moving boats.

Children 13 and under must have adult supervision in swimming areas.

Boat operators age 16 and older must carry photo identification. All boats must display current registration.

Boaters can find safety handbooks at any Department of Natural Resources office or visit www.goboatgeorgia.com for more information.

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Before You Dismiss This Article…

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When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.

The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.

Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.

Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.

B.T. Clark
Publisher at 

B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.