Thousands Expected to Attend Klyde Warren Park's Independence Celebration, Free Fireworks Show

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - On Saturday night, June 26, Klyde Warren Park will commemorate the Fourth of July holiday with not just a firework show, but food trucks, family activities, and music from the U.S. Army 36th Infantry Division band.

Kit Sawers, President of Klyde Warren Park, says it is the park's first major public event since the start of the pandemic.

"It's independence from COVID as much as it is independence celebrating our country," Sawers explains. "Really it is a chance for everyone to get back together and to reflect for a moment as a community on what we have been through this past year, but really celebrate the future."

The event is free and open to the public.

"We will have bars set up for people interested in having a cocktail and watching the fireworks," Sawers says. "People can bring their own blankets and come settle in, listen to the music, watch the fireworks, and bring their families out and enjoy being in the outdoors together.

Last year's firework show was a largely virtual celebration due to the pandemic, but this year, they are expecting several thousand people to attend in-person.

Many other large fireworks show in North Texas were cancelled this year like "Red, White and Boom on the Bridge" and "Fair Park Fourth." But Sawers says it was a priority for the park to keep the tradition going this year.

"We like to say we weren't able to be part of the emergency response to Covid, but instead had a strong desire to be part of the recovery for COVID," Sawers explains. "So we stayed ready to be able to do that."

The Klyde Warren Park team says they are ready for not only this weekend's show, but an exciting new chapter for the park that includes increasing the size of the children's park, moving the dog park to a space with more shade, adding a fountain to the east lawn, and welcoming a new restaurant into the park.

"There's going to be a lot happening just by this time next year, and then immediately following that you will start seeing the expansion project happening on those two new decks that we plan to add to Klyde Warren Park."

The Independence Celebration at the park kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday and continues until 10 p.m. with the fireworks show expected to start at 9:30.