2011 4th of July Fireworks Displays in the St. Louis, Missouri Area

What better way to spend the 4th of July than heating up the BBQ pit, grilling burgers, brats and ribs, downing your preferred beverage and simply enjoying the mid-summer holiday. And as the sun starts to set, everyone is packed into the car and away you drive to watch those spectacular fireworks displays that light up the night skies with multi-colored starbursts, fountains, and streams of sparks trailing through the darkness. Those in the St. Louis area are fortunate to be able to choose between many different venues to view these impressive exhibits of pyrotechnics.

This year downtown St. Louis will be treated to three nights of fireworks at Fair St. Louis, but the grand daddy of all fireworks displays in St. Louis marks the end of Fair St. Louis. The grand finale fireworks display commences around 9:15 P.M. on July 4th at the Arch grounds. Barges afloat in the Mississippi River fire off the shells high into the sky above the Arch illuminating the entire downtown area. Don't wait until the last minute to drive downtown and think you'll find a place under the Arch to spread a blanket to watch the display. Hundreds of thousands attend the all day Fair St. Louis event and the area around the Arch fills up fast. But here is a secret known to a few. You can watch the fireworks from the Grand Ave. overpass near St. Louis University. The view from there to downtown and the Arch is unobstructed.



The City of Kirkwood host its annual fireworks display on the 4th of July at Kirkwood Park, the corner of Geyer and Adams. No official time is set, but the program starts when darkness falls, usually around 9:00P.M.. Come early to spread your blanket or set your lawn chairs to stake claim to your area and chat with friends and neighbors. Plan on parking and walking as some of the nearby streets are closed to traffic. A truly remarkable display.



If you happen to live in the western municipalities of St. Louis County, you don't have to make the drive east into St. Louis to view great displays. The City of Ellisville holds a display in Bluebird Park, 225 Keifer Creek Rd. and the City of Chesterfield hosts its annual event at the Chesterfield Mall. More information can be found on their websites.



If you live east of the Mississippi, you can view pyrotechnical extravaganzas in the Alton area and in Alhambra, Il.



So make a day of it and let the fun last well into the night as you watch in celebration of our nations independence way back in 1776.


Sources:

celebratestlouis.org/Celebrate/index.cfm

www.kirkwoodmo.org/calendar.htm

www. ellisvile.mo.us