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For 40 of the last 43 years, We've watched fireworks with friends in Wilmette (IL). Their July 3 festival and fireworks are terrific i write that as someoe who moved here from DC. This year, they cancelled at the exact moment we were leaving to go to the park.

For several yeasr now, we've watched firworks in Chicago on the 4th from high up in a high rise about as close to the explosions as possible. Really, the explosions of light appear between us and the next building a few hundred feet away. The fog rolled in a few hours before the show was scheduled to start.

All we saw were diffuse, washed out colors. Interesting experience. Disappointing, though.

Looking at previous years' photos doesn't grab me. I think tonight, I'll look for 2026 fireworks shows on YouTube.

Anybody see a good show this year?

The San Francisco fireworks were held over the Golden Gate Bridge for only the 3rd time ever (they are usually off of barges in the SF bay). It would have been spectacular, but Karl the Fog came in wet and heavy so it was a bust. When it looked like it was going to be foggy, I decided to stay in my town outside of SF and ours were pretty good- the fog came in near the end and only affected the very highest ones. It was enjoyable for me but not one of my cats, who hid under the covers on the bed all night.

Our town is doing "high fireworks" so that you can see them from all around town and don’t have to drive or go anywhere. It allows them to launch from our fairgrounds which is the safest place from a wildfire risk but then we can’t gather there like we used to. Overall pretty good and was nice to gather with local neighbors in a neighborhood park to watch instead of crowds of strangers.

I remember the bicentennial fireworks, so I really wanted to watch some this year as well. Here’s to another 250 years… 🎆