fourth of july bang!

The ultimate list of 4th of July fireworks shows in Houston and beyond

Expect large crowds at Houston's annual CITGO Freedom Over Texas bash.

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Wednesday, July 4 marks Independence Day, a day where we commemorate signing the Declaration of Independence and come together to enjoy a good fireworks spectacle.

Most Houstonians will be downtown for the official, CITGO Freedom Over Texas celebration at Eleanor Tinsley Park, which ends with grand-finale fireworks show. But there will be other free events happening in and around Houston that will let loose with their own patriotic, pyrotechnic fun. Here's a rundown of those events:

Miller Outdoor Theatre will see the Houston Symphony perform their annual Star Spangled Salute concert, followed by fireworks in Hermann Park at 10 pm. Event runs 8:30 to 10 pm.

Stafford Centre will feature the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra performing an evening of patriotic favorites — called the Freedom Rings Concert — before the big fireworks show. 7 pm.

The city of Galveston will host its 179th-annual Independence Day Parade & Fireworks Celebration, complete with a parade and 20 minutes of fireworks, beginning at 9:15 pm. Event runs 7:30 to 10 pm.

The Kemah Boardwalk will host a celebration called Star Spangled Sky Fireworks, featuring a parade, live music and a patriotic-themed fireworks show over Galveston Bay. 9:30 pm.

The city of Friendswood will have its 123rd-annual Fourth of July Celebration with a whole day of events, including a grand parade and the eventual fireworks show at 9:20 pm. Event runs 10 am to 10:30 pm.

Wet'n'Wild SplashTown in Spring will set off their usual, Fourth of July fireworks at 9:15 pm, after the park closes. If you want to engage in water-related activities before then, it's open from 10 am to 9 pm.

The Pasadena Convention Center & Fairgrounds hosts the city’s 4th Fest, where there will be live music, food vendors, games, a Toys for Tots BBQ and, yes, fireworks. Event runs 4 to 10 pm.

The Four Corners Shopping Center in Tomball will be the spot for the July 4th Celebration & Street Festival, with a fireworks show going up around 9:30 pm. Event runs 5 to 11 pm.

The Woodlands Resort will make a Star-Spangled Evening on Wharf Terrace, complete with a carnival, live music, and a fireworks extravaganza at 9 pm. Event runs 5 to 10 pm.

The Pearland High School Football Stadium will be the location for the city’s Celebration of Freedom, where there will be live music by The Slags and a fireworks display at sundown. Event runs 6 to 10 pm.

CityCentre will have country/rock group Texas Unlimited Band serve as the live entertainment before the 15-minute fireworks spectacular at 9:30 pm. Event runs 7 to 11 pm.

Kings Harbor in Kingswood will bring in blues-playing boys TC and the Cannonballs to perform live music before the fireworks off the pier at 9:30 pm. Event runs 7 to 10 pm.

Veranda Model Home Park in Richmond will have a Fireworks & Fire Trucks celebration, with food trucks serving food while fireworks pop off in the sky at 9 pm. Event runs 7 to 9:30 pm.

And, for the kiddos: Children's Museum of Houston will host a morning Kidependence Day party, with confetti "fireworks," a marching band, fun activities, and an appearance by Captain America. Event starts at 11 am.

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remember the alamo

Houston's last Alamo Drafthouse quietly closes, will reopen with new owner

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It's a sad day for film lovers in Houston. On Saturday, February 7, Alamo Drafthouse announced they would close the LaCenterra location in Katy, ending the chain's tenure in the city.

"Our franchise partner Triple Tap Ventures, which operates four locations in Texas (Houston, El Paso, East El Paso, and Lubbock), will no longer operate these theaters under the Alamo Drafthouse brand," the company said in a statement. "We’re grateful to the teammates and guests in El Paso, Katy, and Lubbock for their support over the years and wish them all the best. We hope to return to these communities in the future."

Founded in 1997 in Austin, Alamo Drafthouse became a leading name in cinemas thanks to their pioneering restaurant format, unique programming, hybrid live events, and dedication to indie films. The chain expanded to Houston in 2003, opening a location in the West Oaks Mall. The LaCenterra location followed in 2018.

In 2024, Sony Pictures acquired the chain amid closures and bankruptcies all over Texas. It was part of a slew of studio-owned cinemas that sprang up after the fall of the Paramount Consent Decrees in 2020, but it appears even Sony's support was not enough to save the Houston cinema.

The good news is that the theater will be reopening. Rob Saucedo, former head of programming who now operates the River Oaks Theatre in much the same way he did Alamo, posted a bittersweet statement to Facebook after the closure was announced.

"It feels weird for these theaters I spent so much time and energy into building a community around to suddenly close," he writes. "It’s a reminder that nothing is permanent. The locations will be reopened soon under a new brand and folks will still be able to see movies there. Graveyard Shift, the weekly horror series I created, will be dead though. So will so many other practices I built, big and small."

Alamo Drafthouses across Texas remain open, including in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio.

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