Did you head to the beach, the nature trails, or parks in Dartmouth this Fourth of July? You weren’t alone. 

With clear skies and temperatures in the upper 80s, many in town elected to stay local and celebrate Independence Day close to home. 

At Apponagansett Park on Gulf Road, the parking lot was already full to capacity by 1 p.m. For Arthur Domingos, that meant business was booming at The Bucket. 

The manager of the town-run ice cream stand estimated he’d be serving hundreds of people by day’s end. Business has been booming throughout the season, he noted. The closure of Salvador’s has brought more business up to The Bucket and nearby Dockside Ice Cream.

“This is the first time I’ve seen the lot full since I’ve been here,” Domingos said. 

In the park, dozens of families had set up tents and grills to enjoy the day. 

“We’re enjoying the fourth and sticking local,” said Michael Camara, who was out enjoying a cookout with his family. 

Nature trails were a popular spot too. Many major Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust properties were full of hikers, and prime spots to enjoy a day out on the water were also busy. 

Michaela Litzner and her daughter Luisa, 5, picked Russells Mills Landing to launch their kayak for the first time in several years. 

“We’re just spending the Fourth with [my parents] and enjoying the nature,” Litzner said. 

While this year’s Fourth of July in Dartmouth is winding down, expect a lot more to do in Dartmouth next year.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth plans to bring back its Freedom Festival fireworks spectacular in 2020. It was last held on campus in 2015.