As Independence Day approaches, numerous cities and other entities around Jefferson County will hold public fireworks displays.
The first one kicks off Saturday, June 25, in Festus as part of the Twin City Firecracker Festival.
St. Pius X High School will hold one on Thursday, June 30.
On Saturday, July 2, two will be held in Arnold, another will be held in Cedar Hill and yet another in Eureka.
Fireworks displays also will be held on Monday, July 4, in both Hillsboro and De Soto.
Twin City Firecracker Festival
The annual Twin City Firecracker Festival will return with a bang for its 33rd year.
The festival will be held from 4 p.m. until midnight Friday, June 24, and from 8 a.m. until midnight Saturday, June 25, at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park, formerly known as West City Park.
After the festival’s cancellation in 2020 and low attendance due to weather in 2021, attendance is expected to return to normal this year, with about 10,000 to 12,000 people turning out for the event, said Barb Lowry, director of recreation and tourism for the city of Festus.
The festivities will include craft and food vendors, live music, a petting zoo, pony rides and carnival rides.
“The Firecracker Festival is a tradition here in Festus,” Lowry said. “It is a lot of fun for families. It doesn’t matter your age, there’s something for everyone,” Lowry said.
A change from past Firecracker Festivals is that fireworks will be held only on Saturday night. Previously, fireworks were shot off both nights of the event.
“We just wanted to try something different,” Lowry said. “We wanted to try one night of a spectacular show instead of splitting it up over two nights.”
The festival also will include a kid’s fishing derby from 8-10 a.m. and a senior fishing derby from 10 a.m. until noon. Both derbies will be held at Al Brown Lake in Crites Park. Attendance prizes will be awarded. To sign up for either derby, fill out an application on the city of Festus website.
The Jonathan Braddy Band will take the stage from 6-10 p.m. Friday, and Johnny Rock-ITT and the Double Wide Symphony will play from 6-10 p.m. Saturday.
Two bands will perform at the gazebo on Saturday – Streamline from 12:30-2:30 p.m. and 90 Proof Acoustic from 3-5 p.m.
Tickets for carnival rides will cost $1.25 each or 22 for $20, which has been the same price for more than 10 years, according to the Festus website.
Some changes have been made to the festival this year.
There will be no car show, and beer will be sold differently, with a separate tent where people may get a wristband and buy tickets for the beer booth after showing their ID.
There will be a Festus Fire Department open house on Saturday.
The annual pickleball tournament has been canceled due to heat.
People may not bring coolers or pets to the festival.
To see the weekend’s schedule or apply to be a vendor, go to cityoffestus.org/293/Firecracker-Festival---June-24-25-2022.
The Festus Fire Department will hold an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at its station, 212 N. Mill St., in conjunction with the Firecracker Festival.
“We want everyone to meet the crews, get a station tour,” Fire Chief Travis Wood said. “On our right side of the building parking lot, we’ll have a ladder truck for viewing. We will have a hose line the kids can play with. We will do turnout drills – have our crews put on their gear. We’ll have free hot dogs and soda.”
Wood said years ago the department held similar open houses.
“Assistant Chief Chuck Boyer said we used to have them, but this is the first time for one in a long time,” Wood said.
He said he hopes the open house will spur people’s interest in becoming volunteer firefighters.
“We hope it will help us with recruits for volunteers,” he said.
For more information, call the department at 636-937-7661 or visit the Festus Fire Department page on Facebook.
St. Pius X High School
The annual St. Pius Fireworks Extravaganza has become a tradition at the school, 1030 St. Pius Drive, in Crystal City, Principal Karen DeCosty said.
The 2022 event is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, June 30. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the fireworks show begins at dusk. The price is $20 per vehicle.
“This is an event we look forward to providing to the community,” DeCosty said. “It’s become something the St. Pius family and members of the community look forward to.”
The Exit 180 band will perform. Barbecue and other concessions will be sold.
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
City of Arnold
This year, the city of Arnold will hold its annual free Independence Day celebration from 5-11 p.m. Saturday, July 2, at Arnold City Park.
There will be several vendors and events throughout the night.
“We’ll have food vendors, we’ll do a bubble extravaganza and a balloon artist,” said Teresa Kohut, a recreation supervisor. “We’ll be doing an adult hot dog-eating contest, a kids cupcake eating-contest. We’ll be doing some family games, a three-legged race and a balloon toss. The band Wildfire will play from 7-11 p.m.”
The band plays contemporary and country music.
There also will be a small train children may ride for free, Kohut said.
A fireworks display is scheduled for 9:30 p.m., Kohut said.
The city will pay $25,000 for the fireworks show, which is part of a larger celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Arnold’s incorporation.
“We’ll also have the mayor’s unveiling of the 50th anniversary showpiece at 7:30 p.m.,” Kohut said.
She would not say exactly what the showpiece is because it’s a surprise, but Gateway Fireworks created it, and the piece will travel around Arnold throughout the 50th anniversary celebrations and people may have their photos taken with it, Kohut said.
“We will also be passing out the free 50th anniversary books, which will be available there at the (Farmers Market)” Kohut said.
At the event, 50th anniversary merchandise and veteran memorabilia will be sold. The money raised through the veteran merchandise will be used for the veteran’s memorial park the city plans to install near the gazebo at the Arnold Recreation Center.
First Baptist Church of Arnold
The First Baptist Church of Arnold will offer a free fireworks show beginning at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 2.
Parking lots open at 8:45 p.m.
Jason Ervin, the Next Generation pastor, says church leaders decided to stick to last year’s format.
Senior pastor Kenny Qualls will speak, recognizing first responders. Then, the national anthem will be played, followed by the fireworks display.
The entire presentation should last roughly 30 minutes, Ervin said.
People may watch the show from inside their cars, or they may bring lawn chairs to watch outside.
The church will play music to accompany the fireworks. People may listen to the music in their cars by turning to 89.9 FM on their radios.
Cedar Hill
VFW Post 5331, at 1 Lynn Drive in Cedar Hill, will hold its annual Independence Day observance on Saturday, July 2.
“We’ve been doing this 30 years,” post commander Eva Maloney said. “We start at 11 a.m. We have barbecue – pork steaks, hot dogs, brats and hamburgers – for sale. We’ll have a variety of sides to go with it. Our auxiliary does funnel cakes and nachos. Boy Scouts sell snow cones.
“We have music from a DJ. The fireworks display starts at dusk and lasts about 45 minutes. It’s free to attend, other than the food.”
She said the event typically draws big crowds.
“We usually have a lot of support from the community,” Maloney said.
Eureka
Eureka’s annual Independence Day celebration will be back from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, July 2, at the Central Avenue Spur.
This year’s event will have a couple of food vendors, as well as outdoor games, recreation coordinator Lizzie Roberds said.
“There will be some yard games for people to play, like cornhole, giant Jenga and stuff like that,” she said.
A concert featuring Spectrum Band, which plays top 40s hits from the 80s though present days, will be held from 6-10 p.m., Roberds said.
At 9:15 p.m., J and M Displays will put on a fireworks show.
“I always think it’s fun to celebrate America’s birthday,” Roberds said. “It’s going to be an awesome fireworks display again this year.”
The fireworks display is not set to music, but there will be patriotic music playing as it happens.
The fireworks display will cost $20,000, Roberds said.
Eureka police and fire departments will also be at the event, she said.
The event will be free of charge. Coolers are welcome, but glass bottles are not.
Parking will be available at Getty Elementary, Central Ave. and The River Church.
De Soto
The De Soto Lions will hold a fireworks show at the end of a day full of activities on Monday, July 4, at De Soto High School, 815 Amvets Drive.
The show is free and open to the public.
“We open around 4 p.m.,” said Larry Bridges of the De Soto Lions. “There’s barbecue for sale and a bounce house and tractor-train rides for kids (for small fees). We recognize veterans around 7:15 p.m.
“It’s a family-oriented event. People look forward to our fireworks show.”
He said the fireworks display will start around 9:15 p.m.
“Normally, it lasts 37 to 41 minutes, depending on the shooter,” Bridges said.
Amvets Post 48, at 1075 Amvets Drive in De Soto, will hold a number of activities in conjunction with the De Soto Lions activities.
They will include the following:
■ 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., pork steak dinners sold in the hall;
■ 4 p.m. to dusk, the cook shack opens, selling hamburgers, hot dogs and funnel cakes;
■ 2 p.m. to close, a biergarten with DJ music and karaoke;
■ 5 p.m. to dusk, snow cones for sale.
Hillsboro
A free fireworks show is also on tap Monday, July 4, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 10349 Business 21, in Hillsboro.
Gates open at 6 p.m.
“Fireworks start at dusk,” said Tina Shulack of the Hillsboro Community Civic Club, which sponsors the event. “It’s free to attend and there’s free parking. People may bring coolers, lawn chairs, blankets, but no pets.”
Concessions will be sold. Other activities include pony rides and face painting. DJ music will be provided. The organization will raffle a Blackstone grill.
“At 8 p.m., we have a parachute toss in the STL Diesel Arena,” she said. “They shoot off little parachutes. Whoever catches them will win prizes. There are kids and adults divisions.”
Shulack said the event draws a large crowd each year.
“It grows every year,” she said. “Last year, I’d say we had 1,000 people.”