ST. LOUIS–For many in St. Louis, you can’t celebrate the Fourth of July without fireworks at the Gateway Arch. Some may remember seeing Elton John, Dolly Parton, John Legend, or even hometown favorite Nelly entertain crowds in the shadow of the Arch during a Fair St. Louis performance.

What You Need To Know

  • Fair St. Louis will put on a fireworks show Monday night that you can view from the Gateway Arch and its surrounding grounds

  • The tradition was started in 1981

  • The Gateway Arch Park Foundation is working to make sure the Arch and its neighboring spaces will be around for generations to come

This year marks the 41st anniversary of the Independence Day festival, and it's expanding to some new locations this year, like Kiener Plaza. 

“Wherever they go, it's ground that was renovated through CityArchRiver Project; Kiener plaza, or passing by the Old Courthouse, or on the Arch grounds,” explains Ryan McClure, executive director of Gateway Arch Park Foundation. 

The nonprofit is working to make sure the Arch and its neighboring spaces renovated during the CityArchRiver project will be around for generations to come and that means more Fourth of July memories downtown.

McClure points out that spectators can now stand and sit on what was once an interstate highway to watch the fireworks. 

“Having that continuous sea of people is a really cool testament to what the community accomplished,” said McClure. A majority of the funding for the project came from the St. Louis community, raised privately by the Foundation or the passage of Prop P in St. Louis City and County.

“We are going to continue fundraising and seeking community support to evolve the park so we are not seeing a full scale renovation of the park every 50 years. We are going to keep it fresh, relevant, preserved for generations as we go along,” said McClure. 

The Foundation has been supporting and producing programs like Winterfest and Blues at the Arch to give locals and tourists a reason to enjoy the park. 

“If you've only been to the Arch once, or once every couple of years, there is so much more to experience at the Arch grounds. We just hope the St. Louis community comes and uses this park because it is their park. They invested in it and we want them to come and enjoy it,” said McClure.

Fair St. Louis is free and the fun runs all weekend. You can check the entire line up here. The main fireworks show will start at 9:30 p.m. on July 4. You may be able to watch it streaming from the from Malcolm Martin Park in East St. Louis.