photo by: Mike Yoder

People sit in Constant Park downtown to watch the 2009 annual fireworks display put on by the Lawrence Jaycees.

Lawrence Police officers will do their best to keep the city fireworks-free this Independence Day. All pyrotechnics — aside from novelty items such as party poppers, snappers, snakes, glow worms, sparklers, toy caps and toy smoke devices — are banned inside the city limits, but that doesn’t mean the freedom-loving fireworks fans among us have to go without.

The Kaw-Boom Festival, slated for 4 to 11 p.m. Monday at downtown’s Burcham Park, will host the Lawrence Jaycees annual fireworks display over the Kansas River starting at 9:45 p.m. This year’s Fourth of July festivities, sponsored in part by the City of Lawrence, will also feature live music, food, beer and plenty of activities for the kiddos.

As part of the event, eXplore Lawrence, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, is offering shuttle rides from 3:30 to 11:30 p.m. to and from the park at three downtown locations: Riverfront Plaza, New Hampshire Street parking garage and Vermont Street parking garage. (You can check out a map and additional information at www.kawboom.org.

Looking to avoid crowds? Here are a few places around town that have been popular fireworks-viewing spots in years past:

• Campanile Hill above Memorial Stadium on the Kansas University campus

• Constant Park, near the corner of Tennessee and Sixth streets

• Watson Park, 727 Kentucky St.

• Along the Kansas River Bridge

• The Nest on Ninth at The Oread, 1200 Oread Ave. Watch the fireworks — and catch live music by Lawrence’s Kim and The Quake — from 8 to 11 p.m. at the hotel’s rooftop bar.

Elsewhere in Douglas County

The Baldwin City Recreation Commission has a full afternoon and evening of entertainment planned for the community on the Fourth of July, concluding with the traditional fireworks show.

Activities will start with a free community day from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday at the city pool with free hot dogs, a DJ, contests and games. A dunk tank and obstacle course will be set up outside the pool fence.

The community’s annual fireworks show will start with the onset of darkness at about 9:30 p.m. Once again this year, the fireworks will be set off on the hill to the west of the Baldwin Elementary School Intermediate Center, 100 Bullpup Drive. Residents are invited to bring lawn chairs to watch from the BESIC parking lots or from the ball fields to the south.

Recreation Commission Director Steve Friend said $5,000 of fireworks will be shot up in the show, which should last about 30 minutes. The show is free.

The Eudora Parks and Recreation Department will treat the community to an Independence Day celebration Monday at the Eudora Middle School parking lot and Shadow Ridge Park directly to the south.

The evening will start at 7 p.m. with the sounds of easy-listening rock performed by The City Collective, said Gary Scott, Eudora Parks and Recreation director. A booth will offer hot dogs, chips and drinks for sale.

The fireworks show will start about 9:15 p.m. with the onset of darkness. Scott said $5,000 worth of fireworks will be shot off in the 30- to 40-minute show. The fireworks will be set off in the area between the Eudora High School and middle school parking lots. Scott said no one will be allowed in the area during the show.