For many, fireworks are a staple part of celebrating the Fourth of July. If watching the night sky light up is part of your holiday tradition, you’re in luck: the St. Louis area hosts several public events.

Tasmyn Front has been living in St. Louis for 12 years. She says that fireworks aren’t the only attraction to consider when deciding on a venue.

“There’s a lot of waiting before the show starts,” said Front. “Ultimately it's only 20 minutes so you want it to be worth the wait.”

Music, food and activities for the kids are standard at most venues.

Fair St. Louis, by far the largest Fourth of July event in the area, has moved from the downtown riverfront to Forest Park this year because of construction on the Arch grounds. Front says the relocation is the reason her family will be attending Fair St. Louis for the first time.

“When our kids were a little bit younger, we wanted to avoid major crowds,” said Front. “Hopefully we can avoid the downtown traffic and parking.”

However, traffic and limited parking are not just a downtown problem and people have worries about Forest Park. To help them, Fair St. Louis has released a map of expected road and lane closures.

Carla Fletcher lives in Ferguson. She plans to carry on her tradition of watching the fireworks at January-Wabash Park this year without a care about parking. 

“It's a tradition to walk there from my home, which is just a half mile from the park,” said Fletcher. “I totally love the whole Fourth of July celebration here.”

Where will you be watching the fireworks? Or do you partake in a different tradition to celebrate the Fourth of July?

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