Despite the heat and smog, thousands of Valley residents will grab their blankets and water bottles and head for local parks and parking lots Wednesday to view the city’s Fourth of July fireworks.
The largest fireworks event in Tempe takes place at Tempe Town Lake and Beach Park. The CBS 5 Tempe Town Lake Festival Produced by the Kiwanis Club of Tempe includes a fireworks show, performances by several local artists, a food court and inflatable attractions and a splash playground for children.
Tickets are available for $8 at the door or $6 presale at Fry’s grocery stores, while children 12 and under get in for free.
Chase Field will put on its own fireworks display for attendees of the Arizona Diamondback’s July 4 game against the Padres.
People going to the game can also receive free patriotic shirts and participate in a pregame tailgate.
Theatre sophomore Ashton Corey will be attending the game and the post-game fireworks show with his friends and family.
“Seeing something in person is almost always better than seeing it on TV,” he said.
The Phoenix Zoo will also host a Fourth of July celebration, the 4th of Zooly.
The tickets are pricier, at $40 for adults and $35 for children, and the celebration includes a catered barbeque dinner, a view of Tempe’s fireworks, face painting, animal exhibits and bounce houses.
Individual firework launches are prohibited in Tempe, and have been for the last several years.
Reach the reporter at julia.shumway@asu.edu or follow @JMShumway on Twitter.
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