4th of July Guide

Here are the top 4th of July fireworks shows in and around Austin

Austin's New Year 2013 with fireworks over Austin Auditorium Shores

Witness fireworks over Lady Bird Lake while you listen to the Austin Symphony Orchestra along Auditorium Shores.

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

There's nothing quite like celebrating the Fourth of July with a magnificent display of fireworks. Here's your guide to the biggest — and brightest — shows in around Austin.

Downtown Austin
The Austin tradition of fireworks over Lady Bird Lake continues! Enjoy the sweetest fireworks display in Central Texas with a live performance from the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Before the spectacle, peruse the great lineup of food, drinks and vendors at Auditoriums Shores during the 39th Annual July Fourth Concert and Fireworks, from 7-10 pm.

San Marcos
Celebrate Independence Day along the banks of the San Marcos River at Plaza Park during SummerFest. The event includes a children's parade and costume contest as well as activity booths, vendors and live music from David Ybarra and Friends. The festival gates open at 6 pm and the fireworks display will launch around 9:30 pm.

Round Rock
It's exhausting just reading the schedule for the July Fourth Frontier Days Celebration. The day starts off with a parade at 10 am and continues with carnival rides, pig races, children's games, skydivers and more. The grand finale will be a fireworks display with music from the Austin Symphonic Band, followed by an outdoor screening of Jurassic Park.

Pflugerville
The Pflugerville Pfirecracker Pfestival will unleash a free firestorm of fireworks over Pflugerville Lake. Bring your own chair or rent a kayak to watch the stunning display from the water. Enjoy fun festivities beginning at 3 pm, such as live music on two stages, kids' activities, art, vendors and more. Note: This celebration takes place on Friday, July 3.

Leander
The Leander Liberty Fest includes great food, cool vendors, live music from Granger Smith and Gary P. Nunn and (of course) an awesome fireworks display at nightfall. The festival will take place from 6-10 pm on Highway 183 between Hero Way and San Gabriel Parkway.

Lago Vista
Enjoy fireworks over Lake Travis during the Lago Vista Fourth of July Celebration. The stellar display, which begins at "dark thirty," will be preceded by a slew of family-friendly games at Bar-K Park. Lago Vista has a full lineup of Independence Day events including a parade, a car show and a fun run. Check out the official website for more information.

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Reexamining Don Draper

Jon Hamm, Henry Winkler, and more headed to Austin for TV festival

Getty Images

Jon Hamm is coming to Austin to talk about Don Draper.

From May 29 to June 1, 2025, the ATX TV Festival will take over downtown Austin, and this year Jon Hamm will be joining the festival for the first time.

Hamm will be here for an event called A Mad Men Retrospective, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show's finale. In this panel (the moderator of which is not yet announced), Hamm will reflect on his Emmy-winning performance as Mad Men's Don Draper, the uniqueness of the character in the TV canon, and the show's influence 10 years after it ended.

Jon Hamm may be best known as Draper, but he's also given celebrated performances in several movies and other shows like Fargo, Black Mirror, and — fun fact! — Gilmore Girls.

Celebrating TV is what the ATX TV Festival is all about. This annual summer event is put on by ATX TV and consists of screenings, Q&As, and panel conversations; plus all sorts of parties, live music, happy hours, and other events. It's known for reunions of classic series and cult hits, and according to the website, it's like "TV camp for grownups."

Jon Hamm isn't the only heavy-hitter in this year's lineup.

Programming also includes an acting class and Q&A with Henry Winkler himself, a live script reading of classic episodes from The Golden Girls and Designing Women (guest actors to be announced), a reunion of the creatives and cast of the HBO hit series The Leftovers, a live recording of the podcast Sidebar: A Suits Watch Podcast with Suits stars and co-hosts Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J. Adams, and much more.

Additionally, the festival's annual Pitch Competition is still accepting open pitch submissions through January 17. This gives creatives in Austin a chance to pitch their show idea in front of some of the industry's biggest showrunners and executives. Those in the top 10 will receive a year of support to make the next steps in their TV careers.

Festival badges and passes ($150-535) are on sale now.

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