LONGVIEW, Texas — The Fourth of July is coming up next week and East Texans are preparing for big celebrations. One of the biggest celebrations every year is in Longview.
"We’ve always called it the Fireworks & Freedom Celebration because that’s what we’re doing," said Shawn Hara, director of community destination for the city of Longview. "We’re celebrating Independence Day, the creation of this country."
As of today the venue may not look like much, but Hara said a stage, vendors, and a lot of fireworks will arrive in time for the celebration.
"The fireworks will be all built and set up here at the rodeo arena," Hara said. "You're not gonna be able to go inside that area, it's restricted, but we're gonna have a free concert setup. We're gonna have Drake White hitting the stage and before that, East Texas native, Hayden McBride will be playing and it's all free."
So what time does the firework show start, and how many can the audience expect to see?
"This is about a 25 minute show that starts right at 9:30 p.m.," Hara said. "It will be simulcast as well. As for the music, you want to check that out on KYKX 105.7, where you'll be able to hear it. Then a huge finale obviously at the end."
Now as for what you can and can’t bring to the event, Hara said it's not a BYOB situation and to not bring a cooler. Food vendors will be at the complex where beer and wine will be sold.
Hara does recommend that attendees bring a chair to find the perfect spot for the concert and firework show. And he hopes that you’ll enjoy it worry-free.
"It's been pretty dry here in East Texas, and so we want to make sure that we're taking all the precautions for the firework show," Hara said. "Then from the security standpoint, especially with traffic, we're gonna have a lot of our police officers serving here and making sure that the event is safe."