Fireworks are almost as American as mom and apple pie. And that means they're synonymous with the 4th of July. Here are all the places you can catch a 4th of July fireworks show this year from St. Louis to Kansas City.

Get our free mobile app

Fireworks shows seem staggered in different communities starting on Friday night, July 1, and running through Monday night, July 4. Many communities have other events around the fireworks as well so click the links and check out what the communities are offering.

I didn't include fireworks happening around Lake of the Ozarks, as it seems many of the area resorts have their own fireworks planned that weekend, and most restrict who can watch on land to guests. That said if you know someone with a boat I expect you'll be able to see several displays throughout that weekend.

Here are area fireworks shows scheduled for the 4th of July weekend:

  • Sedalia Sedalia Parks & Recreation Fireworks Spectacular, Monday night, July 4, at 9:30 PM CDT at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. Free admission.
  • O'Fallon O'Fallon's Heritage & Freedom Festival, Sunday night, July 3, 10:15 PM CDT, Monday night, July 4, 9:30 PM CDT. Fireworks happen after main stage entertainment, which on July 3 is Country star Chris Jansen, and on July 4 is Cheap Trick. Admission, concerts, and fireworks, are all free.
  • St. Louis (framed by Gateway Arch) Fair St. Louis, Monday night, July 4, approximately 9:30 PM CDT. Fair St. Louis takes place at Ballpark Village and Kiener Plaza.
  • Lee's Summit Lee's Summit Parks & Recreation, Friday night, July 1, 9:30 PM CDT at Legacy Park. Gates open 6:00 PM CDT. Rain date is Saturday night, July 2. Free.
  • Kansas City, Mo World War I Museum and Memorial and KC Riverfest Saturday night, July 2. Fireworks at approximately 9:40 P CDT over the Memorial. Picnicking will be allowed on the south grounds of the Museum and Memorial starting at 3:00 PM CDT. Also local vendors, food trucks, local entertainment and live music. Free to attend.
  • Overland Park, KS Star Spangled Spectacular, Monday night, July 4. Fireworks at approximately 9:45 PM CDT. Food trucks, entertainment. Free to attend.
  • Blue Springs Red White & Blue Springs, Monday night, July 4, fireworks at 9:45 PM, gates at 6:30 PM CDT. Free to attend.
  • Clinton Olde Glory Days, Sunday night, July 3. Henry County Fairgrounds, approximately 9:30 PM CDT.
  • Pilot Knob Arcadia Valley Chamber of Commerce and Pilot Knob State Historic Site annual fireworks. Event runs 3:00PM - 10:30 PM CDT.
  • Columbia Fire In The Sky, Monday night, July 4. Details and location are still TBA on the City of Columbia website.
  • Jefferson City Salute To America, Red, White, and Boom Fireworks Sky Concert, Monday, July 4, 9:45 PM CDT. Fireworks can be viewed from the north lawn of the Capitol Building. The Fireworks are part of the City's Salute to America festival which encompasses 17 blocks of themed activities and attractions.
  • Independence City of Independence and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Independence Stake, Independence Square, 937 W. Walnut, Saturday, July 2, Fireworks 9:45 PM, Gates open 5:30 PM CDT, food trucks, live music and before the fireworks.
  • Lebanon The VFW in Lebanon (Post 4107), 617 Lynn Street, will be holding 4th of July festivities starting at 3:00 PM CDT. There will be food, dessert food trucks, bounce houses for the kids, a live band, and raffles. Fireworks will be the finale of the night.
  • Warrensburg Grover Park Baptist Church and American Legion Post 131 present their Freedom Spectacular on July 4th. Grover Park Baptist Church between Western Missouri Medical Center and the Warrensburg Community Center. There will be family fun, food, games, a concert by the Warrensburg Community Band, Giveaways and Fireworks at 9:00 PM CDT. The event starts at 6:30 PM CDT. And the rain date is Tuesday, July 5.
  • Marshall Marshall Municipal Band will play at 8:00 PM CDT, with fireworks after the concert, at approximately 9:00 PM CDT. Check out the Facebook event page here.
  • Higginsville 4th of July Celebration Presented by the Higginsville Chamber of Commerce. Monday, July 4. Fairground Park. Festivities begin at 5:45 and include youth activities, live music, and spectacular fireworks at dusk.
  • Harrisonville Parks & Recreation 4th of July Fireworks Show, Monday, July 4 at 9:15 PM. The rain date is Saturday, July 9.

If your community has fireworks planned for the weekend of July 4, drop me an email or a message with the link to your show's website / Facebook page and we'll add it to this list.

LOOK: Here are the best lake towns to live in

Many of the included towns jump out at the casual observer as popular summer-rental spots--the Ozarks' Branson, Missouri, or Arizona's Lake Havasu--it might surprise you to dive deeper into some quality-of-life offerings beyond the beach and vacation homes. You'll likely pick up some knowledge from a wide range of Americana: one of the last remaining 1950s-style drive-ins in the Midwest; a Florida town that started as a Civil War veteran retirement area; an island boasting some of the country's top public schools and wealth-earners right in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California town containing much more than Johnny Cash's prison blues.

RANKED: Here are the most popular national parks

To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

More From AM 1050 KSIS