If you’re looking to celebrate Independence Day, you won’t have to travel far to find a fireworks show to help spark your patriotism.
Several cities and other organizations will hold fireworks displays throughout Jefferson County and Eureka over the next week or so, including two on Fourth of July.
First on tap is St. Pius X Catholic High School’s Fireworks Extravaganza set for tonight, June 26. The Crystal City school charges a fee to attend.
No admission is charged for all the other fireworks displays, which will be held in Festus, Arnold, De Soto, Hillsboro, Cedar Hill and Eureka.
St. Pius
In addition to fireworks, the St. Pius event will feature live music, food trucks and fireworks on the school grounds, 1030 St. Pius Drive, in Crystal City.
It costs $20 per vehicle to attend. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the fireworks display begins at 9:15 p.m.
Amy Atzert, the school’s director of events, said the Fireworks Extravaganza draws large crowds.
“Last year, we had approximately 600 cars,” she said. “We estimate about 2,500 people came.”
The Blackbird Strut Band will perform from 7-9 p.m.
“They’re a band from southeast Missouri that plays dirt country with soulful Americana, blues and country influences,” Atzert said
She said those who attend the festivities may bring their own food and drinks, but numerous food trucks will be on hand to sell their wares.
“We’ve got 10 food trucks coming,” Atzert said.
Big Shot Fireworks handles the fireworks display, which lasts about 23 minutes, she said.
For more information, visit the St. Pius X Catholic High School Facebook page.
Twin Cities
The 36th annual Twin City Firecracker Festival will be held Friday and Saturday at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park along Sunshine Drive (Old Hwy. A) in Festus.
This year’s festival will include 60 vendors offering a variety of food and crafts. Businesses will also be on hand providing information about their products and services.
Admission is free for the festival and the fireworks display.
The fireworks will begin at 10 p.m. Saturday after festival headliner and country musician Collin Raye concludes his performance.
Once again, the Starfire Corporation will put on the fireworks display. Sponsored by the city of Festus, the fireworks show costs $30,000, Festus Parks director Josh Whaley said.
“(They are the) same fireworks provider that we’ve had the past two years. They’ve been great to work with,” he said.
The fireworks will last about 15-20 minutes and will be set off in the same spot as last year, between ballfields six and seven in Crites Park, he said
Superjam, a classic rock band, will return to the festival at 7 p.m. Friday. The St. Louis-based band will play familiar rock songs from artists like Foreigner, Journey, Led Zeppelin and Sammy Hagar.
“If you slept (through their show) last year, you missed out,” Barb Lowry, Festus recreation and tourism director said. “They were absolutely fantastic.”
Saturday’s music lineup will kick off at 6 p.m., with the local Crystal City act, the Johnathan Braddy Band. At 8:30 p.m., country artist Collin Raye, a 10-time male vocalist of the year nominee with 16 number one hits, will perform.
Raye is known for his hits, “My Kind of Girl,” “That’s My Story” and “Love Me.”
Like most years, parking for the festival will be available behind the stage field. Signs will be posted, and people will be on hand directing traffic. Golf carts will be available again this year to shuttle people to and from the grounds and their vehicles.
“We have increased the number of golf carts we are renting this year, and we will have city staff members driving them,” Lowry said, adding that some of the golf carts will accommodate wheelchairs.
However, if the ground ends up being wet, the parking area and carnival may be relocated, with the carnival moved to the asphalt parking lot by the ballfields, she said.
This year’s carnival will operate from 4-11 p.m. on Friday and 3-11 p.m. on Saturday.
Tickets may be purchased for $1.25 each or $20 for 22 tickets. Each ride will require anywhere from two to four tickets.
Unlike last year, armbands will be available for the carnival on Friday night only. The bands will cost $30 each and are valid from 5-11 p.m.
The 25th annual Kids’ Fishing Derby will take place from 8-10 a.m. Saturday at Al Brown Lake in Crites Park. The event is free and open to children aged 2-14. The deadline to register for the event is June 25. Registration is available through the city’s website at festusmo.gov.
Immediately following the Kids’ Fishing Derby will be the 23rd Seniors’ Fishing Derby, from 10 a.m. to noon at the same location. This event is open to anyone 55 and older. The deadline to register is June 25. Registration is also available through the city’s website.
Attendance prizes will be awarded at each event.
The Firecracker Festival Car Show will return this year. The show, sponsored by the Festus R-6 Foundation, is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the complex parking lot by the ballfields. Registration costs $20.
For more information about the car show, visit the Festus R-6 Foundation Facebook page or contact Kevin Pope at 636-638-2004 or popekevin@festusedu.com.
No pets or coolers are allowed at the festival; however, service animals are permitted.
Because of the noise the fireworks show will generate, the city has arranged for the animals at the nearby shelter to be relocated for that night, Lowry said.
“It’s just too much for them with the loud band and the fireworks; that can all be very traumatizing for the animals,” she said.
For more information, visit festusmo.gov.
Arnold
The city of Arnold will also offer a fireworks show and several other free activities as part of its Independence Day Celebration, scheduled for 5-11 p.m. Saturday at Arnold City Park, 2400 Bradley Beach Road, off Jeffco Boulevard near the Meramec River. The fireworks display will start around 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m., said Ajsa Roach, Arnold Parks and Recreation Department deputy director.
No admission will be charged to attend the event.
This year’s celebration will feature two patriotic-themed photo opportunities, one with a bald eagle from 5-7 p.m. and another with a stilt walker dressed like Uncle Sam from 6-8 p.m. Those who want a photo with the eagle or Uncle Sam will need to use their own cameras.
The celebration also will include a flag-folding demonstration, lawn games, competitions and a glow parade.
“It feels like everything is pretty much new,” Roach said.
The Arnold Veterans Commission will hold the flag-folding demonstration and provide information about the U.S. flag from 6-6:30 p.m. Members of the Arnold VFW Post 2593 Marine Corps will help with the demonstration.
Lawn games, such as corn hole and a frisbee game called Kan Jam, may be played for free from 6-8 p.m.
The city will hold free competitions starting at 6:30 p.m. with a pie-eating contest, which replaces a hot dog-eating contest. The contest will be limited to 15 participants 18 or older, who will compete to win a $25 Red Robin gift card, Roach said.
Arnold will also hold a sack race, which replaces a three-legged race, and a balloon toss competition, starting at 6:40 p.m. Anyone may enter those competitions, and winners will receive items to participate in the glow parade and passes to the Arnold Recreation Center.
The glow parade will start at 8:45 p.m. Anyone may participate, and those who do are encouraged to wear glowing accessories.
The city will sell glow sticks, necklaces and bracelets and other items for people to use during the parade. The items must be purchased with cash, and no ATM will be at the park, Roach said.
Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band will perform from 7-11 p.m.
Arnold will pay Gateway Pyrotechnic Productions $30,500 to put on the fireworks display. City Council members voted unanimously on April 17 to pay the St. Louis company a total of $141,000 for three firework shows this year and to supply snow machines for the Christmas in the Park event in December. Arnold will pay Gateway a total of $105,000 for firework displays that will include laser shows for the first and second nights of Arnold Days in September, and it will pay $5,500 for the snow machines, according to council documents.
“I think their shows are incredible,” Roach said.
At the Independence Day celebration, food trucks from area establishments will be on hand, and the Arnold Jaycees, a nonprofit civic group, will operate a beer tent and snow cone stand. Attendees may bring in food and beverages, but glass bottles and containers are not allowed, Roach said.
Arsenal Credit Union is the community partner for the event.
“We want to thank Arsenal Credit Union for sponsoring the event,” Roach said. “We invite everyone to come out and celebrate Independence Day with us.”
For information about the event, go to the Arnold Parks and Recreation Facebook page, arnoldmo.org or call 636-282-2380.
First Baptist Church of Arnold
The First Baptist Church of Arnold, 2012 Missouri State Road, will hold its annual Freedom Celebration on Sunday. The fireworks display is expected to start at about 9:30 p.m., communications director Amber Hempen said.
The event is free to attend.
Hempen said about 400 vehicles typically fill the church’s B, J and H parking lots for the event. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to enjoy the show from the grassy areas on the campus.
“We have people who will bring yard games and stuff and hang out,” she said.
Attendees may tune radios to 89.9 FM for music synced to the display. Hempen said the broadcast will include a message from Pastor Kenny Qualls, and the church will place speakers outside so people may listen to the broadcast.
Hempen said the entire show takes about 30 minutes, with the fireworks display lasting about 20 minutes.
“We are very excited and love being able to provide this for our community,” she said. “We know it is one everyone appreciates. We also are blessed to have our location, which provides amble parking and viewing.”
De Soto
The De Soto Chamber of Commerce will kick off its Independence Day festivities with the 97th annual De Soto Fourth of July Parade at 10 a.m. Friday, July 4.
The parade will start near Mahn Funeral on Main Street and head south to St. Louis Street and end at the De Soto School District’s JC Culwell Stadium.
Sarah Greenlee, office coordinator for the De Soto Chamber of Commerce, said the parade typically has about 100 entries in the July 4 parade.
Any organization or person who would like to have an entry in the parade should email desotomo_chamber@yahoo.com or call 636-586-5591 by Tuesday, July 1. The cost to enter is $15 (up to five vehicles). Lineup is at 8:30 a.m. in the GraceLife Chapel and Mahn Funeral Home parking lots.
The fireworks display will take place at dusk, at about 9 p.m., at the baseball field behind De Soto High School. No admission is charged to attend the event.
Greenlee said the De Soto Little League will sell concessions on the field from 7:30-9 p.m.
Last year, the De Soto Chamber of Commerce took over planning and fundraising for the annual display, which costs about $20,000.
To donate to the fireworks display, look for @desotomochamber on Venmo. Donations may be dropped off at First State Community Bank for the Chamber Fireworks account. Checks may be sent to De Soto Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 23, De Soto, 63020.
In addition, the following Adopt-A-Firework sponsorships are available: Grand Finale, $2,000; Strobing Thunder, $1,000; Pink Peonie, $750; Whistling Dragon, $500; Sonic Boom, $250; and Golden Sparkler, $100. The sponsors will be recognized on the chamber’s Facebook page.
Amvets Post 48 at 1075 Amvets Drive will hold its annual Fourth of July Festival with pork steak and half chicken dinners selling for $12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. after the parade. From 4 p.m. to dusk, the post will sell hot dogs, hamburgers and funnel cakes. Parking is available on the lot for $5.
Hillsboro
The Hillsboro Community Civic Club will hold a free fireworks display on Friday, July 4, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 10349 Business 21, in Hillsboro.
Gates open at 6 p.m., and the fireworks show is expected to begin at dusk. Admission and parking are free.
Event chairperson Tina Schulack said the fireworks show will last about 20 to 30 minutes.
“The event has a small-town feel and is family oriented but has a big show at the end,” she said.
Spectators are encouraged to bring a lawn chair, blanket or something to sit on.
Festivities will include a DJ, concessions, face painting and pony rides.
Attendees may bring outside food and alcohol to the event. However, no pets or firearms are allowed, Schulack said.
“Pets generally don’t react well to fireworks, so it’s for everyone’s safety,” she added.
Eureka
Eureka will hold a free fireworks display on Friday, July 4, at the Central Avenue Spur, 394 South Central Ave.
The event will run from 6-10 p.m. and include food trucks and music performed by the Count of Monte Carlo band. The fireworks show will begin at 9:30 p.m.
A rain date has been scheduled for the following day, Saturday, July 5, at the same time.
Coolers are welcome at the event, but glass bottles will not be allowed. The city encourages attendees to bring picnic blankets or chairs to watch the show. Parking is available in the new lot behind the Spur or along Central Avenue.
Cedar Hill
Big River VFW Post 5331 at 1 Lynn Lane will hold a free fireworks display on Saturday, July 5.
Festivities will begin at noon with food, beverages, music and fireworks.
Dan Brown, the post’s quartermaster, said there will be live bluegrass music beginning at 1 p.m.
“It’s a group with no name; they just get together and make music,” he said.
The fireworks display will begin at dusk and last 30 minutes.
Brown said the fireworks show is professionally produced and is “better than something you’d see at Busch Stadium.”
Attendees may not bring in outside alcohol, but may bring in soft drinks and snacks.
Barbecue, baked beans and coleslaw will be sold. Additionally, beer will be sold in the pavilion, and mixed drinks will be available in the club room.
Only cash will be accepted, but an ATM will be on site.
Brown also recommends spectators bring lawn chairs or blankets to the event.
He also said people should come to the event to “celebrate their independence.”
Fireworks ordinances vary from city to city
By Sarah Lerch
With the July 4 celebrations right around the corner, it is crucial for residents to be aware of the rules about the use of fireworks in their county or cities.
Many Jefferson County cities allow residents to discharge fireworks within a specific time frame close to the holiday. However, De Soto does not allow residents to shoot off fireworks of any kind within city limits.
There are no restrictions for when residents may discharge fireworks in unincorporated Jefferson County. However, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office does enforce the county’s restriction of disturbing the peace with loud noise, and residents cited for disturbing the peace may face up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, Sheriff’s Office officials said.
Neighboring St. Louis County also does not allow fireworks of any kind, so Eureka residents may not use fireworks either.
Arnold
Fireworks should not be set off in the Arnold city limits before June 25 or after July 5.
From June 25-30, Arnold residents may discharge fireworks from noon to 10 p.m., and on July 1-3, fireworks may be used from noon to 11 p.m. On July 4, fireworks may be shot off from noon to midnight, and on July 5, they may be fired off from noon to 10 p.m.
No one under 18 is allowed to purchase, possess, light, or shoot off any type of fireworks without adult supervision. Those who violate the Arnold city ordinance on fireworks may face a $200 fine per violation.
If police catch someone younger than 18 without adult supervision using fireworks, such items will be confiscated, and the parent or guardian may face a fine of $200.
Byrnes Mill
Byrnes Mill residents should not set off fireworks before July 1 or after July 5. The only times residents may shoot off fireworks are between noon and 10 p.m. on those days.
No one younger than 18 is allowed to purchase, possess, light, or shoot off any type of fireworks without adult supervision. Anyone who violates the rules may be fined $200 for each violation. Any violation regarding fireworks being shot off may be issued to the occupant or owner of the property as well.
Crystal City
In Crystal City, people may discharge fireworks between 10 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. on July 4. Because the holiday is on a Friday this year, residents may also shoot off fireworks on Saturday. If July 4 falls on a Wednesday or Thursday, people may fire them off on that day, along with the following Saturday. If the holiday falls on a Monday or Tuesday, fireworks may be set off on the holiday and on the preceding Saturday.
Those found guilty of violating the ordinance may be fined a maximum of $500 and/or sentenced to jail for up to three months.
De Soto
De Soto residents are prohibited from setting off fireworks within the city. According to the city’s code, any fair, association, amusement park, organization, firm, or corporation wanting to have a public fireworks display must have a special fireworks permit from the state fire marshal, as well as one from the City Council.
If someone were to violate the ordinance, he or she could be fined a maximum of $500.
However, the sale of fireworks is allowed within the city limits under an issued permit that costs $350.
Eureka
Fireworks are not to be sold, used, manufactured, set off or possessed within the city of Eureka.
Eureka Police Cpl. Timothy Shipp said the Police Department receives a lot of calls about fireworks this time of year.
Even though parts of Eureka fall under Jefferson County, residents must follow the city of Eureka’s ordinance, regardless of the county in which they reside.
If someone doesn’t comply with the city ordinance, he or she may be cited and summoned to court, which could lead to a fee.
Festus
In Festus, residents may only use fireworks between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. on July 4 and only on privately owned property.
Anyone who violates the ordinance could be issued a summons to appear in court and may face a fine.
Festus Police Chief Doug Wendel said the Police Department is busy with fireworks-related calls this time of year.
“We respond to dozens of complaints in the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July.” he said. “We would like to ask that residents respect their neighbors and only shoot off fireworks within the designated time constraints.”
Herculaneum
Herculaneum residents may shoot off fireworks between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. during the first seven days of July, and only on private property.
If residents do not comply with the ordinance, they may be summoned to court. Further penalties may occur.
Hillsboro
In Hillsboro, residents may use fireworks between noon and 10:30 p.m. on July 4, and if the holiday is on a Friday, like this year, they may also discharge them on Saturday. If July 4 falls on a Wednesday or Thursday, fireworks may be shot off on that day, plus the following Saturday. If the holiday falls on a Monday or Tuesday, fireworks may be set off on July 4 and the previous Saturday.
Pevely
Fireworks may be shot off between 8 a.m. and midnight on July 4 this year because the holiday falls on a Friday. If the holiday falls on Sunday through Thursday, then fireworks may be discharged between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.
This also includes the preceding Saturday if the holiday falls on Monday through Thursday.
Wildwood
Since Wildwood is in St. Louis County, it is prohibited for anyone to sell, possess, or discharge fireworks within the city limits.
If someone were to violate the ordinance, an officer may issue a ticket, leading to a court date.