Fireworks across the Midwest

There aren’t many days in the year that utilize exploding balls of colored fire, so it’s important to get one’s fill of the great invention known as fireworks on the Fourth of July.

While there is obvious fun in backyard celebrations, sometimes it’s cooler (and easier) to enjoy someone else’s hard work at a professional fireworks show.

There are several renowned Midwest celebrations with great fireworks displays, or in some cases just a great Fourth of July environment.

The annual Red, White and BOOM festival is held in Columbus, Ohio, and is considered the premier set of Fourth of July festivities in the Midwest. It offers live music, food, a holiday parade and, of course, fireworks that last almost half an hour.

The festival has approximately 500,000 attendees and takes place Friday  on the downtown riverfront of Columbus. Other activities span the day’s duration, but the fireworks don’t start until 10 p.m.

Even after the fireworks, musical entertainment continues into the night.
Chicago’s Navy Pier has an impressive fireworks show on the holiday itself. Unfortunately, the great display that usually accompanies the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park was cancelled this year, making the Navy Pier’s pyrotechnics the city’s one and only.

The pier (and the city for that matter) has entertainment and performers throughout the day, and the fireworks begin around 9 p.m.

While the Big Bang Fireworks have already taken place at Summerfest, the Milwaukee music festival has fireworks scheduled for both July 3 and 4. Though they might not be up to par with Red, White and BOOM or Navy Pier, the obvious larger draw is the music and the crowds.

Those dates are the festival’s final and two of its biggest nights, with performers including Rush and Modest Mouse occupying different stages July 3 and Carrie Underwood and Counting Crows doing the same July 4.

Tickets are $15 for a more well-rounded entertainment experience.

The last option is to create your own entertainment for the Fourth. Fortunately, Indiana is kind enough to grace its residents with fireworks purchasing power, with countless warehouses, side-of-the-road stands and small shops littering the state this time of year.

It’s best to head into one of the warehouse stores, where the staffs tend to be bigger, with a better knowledge of the products and willingness to help in general. These stores also likely have some pretty solid rewards for buying certain amounts of fireworks.

Most importantly, be safe no matter how you’re enjoying your holiday, and remember to coordinate your time zones correctly if you’re on the go.