Fireworks? We don’t need no stinking fireworks!
For years now there have been no summer fireworks in Summit. Local officials agree: The explosives are too risky with a dry forest – Summit jumped from moderate to very high fire danger in recent weeks – and even if the forest is soaking wet, you might end up watching the show from your car while stuck in traffic.
July is historically the busiest time of year on local roads with an average of 49,000+ cars every day on I-70 at the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels. That’s about 18,000 more people than the entire year-round population of Summit.
So plan now for upcoming July 4 festivities across the county, from live music and parades to the local debut of a pedal-punk circus.
(If you just can’t go without fireworks scroll to the bottom for two of our nearby favorites.)
Monster Circus Band
For the first time in history almost every local town is collaborating on a Fourth of July parade float.
The Monster Circus Band is a custom mobile stage with entertainers dressed in playful costumes. Towns hired a Denver artist, Bree Angela, to create this one-of-a-kind float, like the Muppets meet Uncle Sam.
See the Monster Circus Band live in Breck, Frisco, Dillon and Silverthorne. Be ready to dance and sing along!
Breckenridge
The annual Independence Day Parade comes to Main Street at 10 a.m. July Fourth. Get there early if you want to be up front.
Then, stick around for Cirque Mechanics, a pedal-punk bike circus. They’ll host preview performances across town before the main performance at 4:30 p.m. on Main Street.
After that head to the Riverwalk Center for the National Repertory Orchestra playing the annual Fourth of July Spectacular starting at 6 p.m.
Frisco
July Fourth in Frisco brings a different kind of parade to Main – human-powered floats.
You’ll see bikes, carriages, skateboards, dogs, maybe horses – anything without a motor, plus a few vintage vehicles. Frisco’s Fourth of July Parade starts at 1 p.m.
The next day July 5 is the return of Frisco History Day with burro rides, face painting, take-home crafts from Frosted Flamingo, artifacts, live music, and more, all of it for free!
Silverthorne
July Fourth at Rainbow Park in Silverthorne comes with a full day of free live music.
First up is the NRO at 10 a.m., followed by Robert Randolph at 6 p.m. with Leadville’s own Horizon Line as the opener.
Dillon
At Dillon Amphitheater on July 3 is a special performance with the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra. Playing the Amp July 5 is a Beatles tribute act.
Where to find fireworks
We get it. Mortars are your spirit animal. You’ll find professional fireworks shows in Avon July 3 (with live music from Lettuce) and Kremmling July 4.