Those attending the Independence Day party Friday night at the Cumming Fairgrounds may want to pack a pair of dancin’ shoes.

Dave Horton, fairgrounds administrator, said the annual celebration will once again include a dance contest after the fireworks display.

He said the contest -- open to shakers, rattlers and rollers of all ages -- usually starts about 10 p.m. at the Old Sawmill stage next to Heritage Village.

“A lot of people will just hang here to listen to the band, watch the dance contest and let traffic subside a little bit before they try to leave,” Horton said.

North Georgia radio station Thunder 104.3 is organizing the event.

Bo Wilson, station manager, said the Andrew Black Band will play a mix of Southern and classic rock, as well as some country music.

“He can basically play anything,” Wilson said. “It’s a really good band. We’ve done a couple acoustic things with him in the station and we really liked him, so we felt like he’d be a good addition to the Fourth of July celebration this year.”

Wilson said judges will pick 10 dancers who then will go on stage to vie for the audience’s approval and the top three prizes.

He’s expecting a good turnout for the competition.

“We always have a crowd of people,” Wilson said. “It’s after the fireworks show, everyone is still there and in past years folks have enjoyed our music so they always come back to the stage and crowd out the dance floor.

"We never have a problem finding any contestants.”

Wilson said the station will broadcast live from 5 to 7 p.m. at the fairgrounds.