The firework kabooms, live music and festivals are back in Redding and the surrounding North State, and this time the celebrations take on adding meaning as the United States marks its 250th anniversary since its founding.
The 2026 Anderson Explodes! on July 3 and the Redding Freedom Festival on July 4 will be fitting celebrations for the country’s semiquincentennial, planners said.
There will be free concerts at the festivals, which also include vendor fairs, food trucks and dazzling fireworks launched to soundtracks broadcast over the radio.
Get a schedule of what you can expect to see and hear when you drive out to two of the biggest Fourth of July events in the Redding area.
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What’s new at Redding’s Freedom Festival
The Redding Freedom Festival opens with food booths at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 at the Redding Civic Auditorium grounds. Events get going by 6 p.m., the city said.
New this year, North State country music artist Serena Karise performs with her band in the annual free concert at 7 p.m. Attendees who want to sit near the stage should go to the west side of the lawn, across from Viking Skate Country, said Redding Recreation Supervisor Christina Massey. After the concert, they’ll need to turn their lawn chairs around to face the auditorium for the fireworks.
Food and vendor booths stay open until 9:55 p.m., several minutes before the fireworks display starts at 10 p.m.
Funded by the McConnell Foundation, Redding’s fireworks show is one of the largest in California, setting off more than 1,700 shells each year, according to the Redding Parks and Recreation Department.
The soundtrack accompanying the fireworks plays on radio station Q97. Listeners can tune their radios to 97.3 FM. They can stream from the radio station’s website at Q97country.com.
No RVs, alcohol, smoking, drugs or drones are allowed at the Civic Auditorium. Also, no pets are allowed with the exception of service animals, but even they have panicked from the loud sounds and scent of fireworks smoke at past Freedom Festivals, city staff said.
If you go: Redding Freedom Fest 2026
Sundial Bridge, nearby roads close before Redding fireworks
What’s new at Anderson Explodes!
A North State tradition, Anderson hosts its fireworks and annual celebration Anderson Explodes! on July 3, the evening before Independence Day at the Shasta District Fairgrounds.
This year’s theme is “The 250th Anniversary of America.”
New this year, Anderson resident and country music artist Jeremy Ryan performs with his band for the annual free concert at 7:30 p.m.
The fireworks follow the concert at 10 p.m. The fireworks and score last about 25 minutes this year, said Jeff Kiser, president of Community for Anderson Explodes!.
Anderson’s fireworks show soundtrack plays live on Q97, so tune your radio to 97.3 FM. You can also stream from the radio station’s website at q97country.com, but you’ll likely hear a 30 seconds delay, placing the music out of sync with the show, Kiser said.
Attendees can bring lawn chairs and blankets, but no outside food or beverages, and no pets are allowed.
If you go to Anderson Explodes! 2026
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal, Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding’s Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Fireworks in Redding area and more to celebrate 4th of July fun
Reporting by Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
