For some, the Fourth of July is celebrated at home with a barbecue and do-it-yourself fireworks. But for those who would rather leave the pyrotechnics in the hands of professionals, Cape Girardeau and Jackson will offer Fourth of July celebrations on Sunday to ensure the holiday goes off with a bang.

According to organizers, this year's Libertyfest will be bigger and better. Libertyfest is put on by the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau and Old Town Cape. This year the Evening Optimist Club signed on as a sponsor.

Everything gets started at 6 p.m. with the Patriot Parade, open to all -- including pets -- as long as they are dressed patriotically. The evening will end with a fireworks display on the Mississippi River scheduled to start around 9:20 p.m.

New family-oriented activities will be offered this year, including an inflatable jumping room and a dunking booth where contestants will get a chance to drench local celebrities Ryan Tate from KFVS12's "Heartland News," Todd Bonacki from KZIM news radio, county Coroner Mike Hurst and state representative candidate Nathan Cooper.

This year's Libertyfest also will feature the first live performance of Cape Girardeau's new unofficial song, "The Great Mississippi," around 8:45 p.m., right after the winner of the Southeast Missourian Spirit of America Award is announced.

While the song was originally recorded years ago by North Carolina singer-songwriter Kevin Danzig, this spring he re-recorded the song and tweaked some lyrics with the help of 32 local residents who provided backup vocals.

Those local contributors should be at Libertyfest to lend Danzig a hand with the song's Cape Girardeau debut. CDs will be available for sale.

Danzig also will give a family concert at 7 p.m. at the courthouse gazebo, to be followed at the venue by the Strolling Dixieland Band. The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band will start performing at 8 p.m. in front of the Common Pleas Courthouse steps.

Because of Libertyfest activities, Spanish, Main and Water streets between Broadway and Independence Street will be closed from 5:30 p.m. until the fireworks display is over around 10 p.m. Parking will be available in lots at old St. Vincent's Church, around the Boardman Pavilion on Main Street and next to Mollie's Cafe and Bar at 11 S. Spanish St.

Other activities or items to be offered at Libertyfest include face painters, food vendors, balloon artists, a display of antique cars and fire engines, a historical character hunt and tours of the Glenn House and Red House Interpretive Center.

Libertyfest attendees also can sign their names on a banner that will be sent to the 1140th National Guard Engineer Battalion now serving in Iraq.

Libertyfest committee chairwoman Marsha Toll said the event attracted between 6,000 and 7,000 people last year. She anticipates similar attendance figures this year.

Toll thinks one of the main reasons people go to Libertyfest is to see the fireworks in what she described as "a magnificent venue." The fireworks are set off of a barge on the Mississippi River almost on the Illinois side of the river. Themis Street is closed off down by the river so people can view the fireworks close-up. Toll said another good place for viewing is Red Star Access, formerly known as Honkers Landing.

If it rains, the fireworks display will be held during the next clear day.

Cape Girardeau is not the only place to enjoy fireworks and festivities on the Fourth of July.

Fourth in Jackson

Jackson will hold its Fourth of July celebration at Jackson City Park. While mud volleyball will not make a return this year, other activities will take its place, including sumo-suit wrestling matches, a soap-box forum and Jackson's own American Idol-style contest.

The Fourth will get off to an early start in Jackson with a 10 a.m. car show. There will be food and concession stands all along Parkview Street in the park, as well as an art-in-the-park exhibit, a petting zoo and children's games.

At 2 p.m., the City Studio Dancers will perform at the tennis courts and the American Idol contest will get underway. Registration for the Idol contest will take place earlier in the day.

Registration for the soap-box forum will be at 5:30 p.m. and the event will start at 6 p.m. at the band shell. The forum will allow all who register to voice their opinions about an issue or topic of their choice for five minutes.

The band shell will be occupied by the Jackson Municipal Band from 8 p.m. to around 9:15 p.m., followed by a fireworks display to be set off over the park's Rotary Lake. The Jackson fireworks display will be moved to Monday night in case of rain. The celebration is sponsored by Jackson Chamber of Commerce.

Other Southeast Missouri towns celebrating the Fourth with festivals include East Prairie, with a fireworks display at the high school football field at 9:15 p.m.; New Madrid, which will have activities and fireworks along the town's riverfront area from 7 to 9 p.m.; and Oran's Fourth of July picnic that starts at 11 a.m. with a buffet and continues with fireworks at 10 p.m., followed by dancing.

This year, the Fourth of July weekend will be a three-day weekend for many people. Because the Fourth of July falls on a Sunday, Monday will be considered a national holiday. Banks and city offices will be closed in observance.

kalfisi@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS