Rockets' red glare? Check! Bombs bursting in air? Check!

Here’s the good news: You won’t have to fight the traffic to get out of Carson Park after the big fireworks show this Fourth of July.

So what’s the bad news? There won’t be a fireworks show in Carson Park this year because of (you guessed it!) the COVID-19 pandemic. There won’t be an Eau Claire Express baseball game or daytime festivities at the Chippewa Valley Museum, either.

There still will be fireworks in Eau Claire, however, and we don’t mean the ones set off at all hours of the night all summer by inconsiderate folks who apparently don’t realize that the Fourth of July actually falls on July 4. We mean the honest-to-goodness, city-sanctioned, Festival Foods-sponsored Fireworks Extravaganza, which will begin at 10pm on Saturday, July 4.

The city moved this year’s fireworks show from Carson Park to Plank Hill, the woodsy area next to Forest Hill Cemetery in Eau Claire’s Eastside Hill Neighborhood. The site’s high elevation, and the fact the fireworks will be shot farther into the air than usual, means the fireworks show should be visible from most areas of Eau Claire, the city says. (For a map, click here.)

If you don’t think you’ll be able to see the fireworks from your home, the city suggests you find a spot in a nearby park. “McDonough Park, Boyd Park, and Phoenix Park will have staff on hand to answer questions,” the city says on its website. “Riverfront Terrace along Phoenix Park will be closed beginning at 5pm on July 4 to offer additional space for viewing while allowing for physical distancing. If you can watch from home, please do so.”

If you do venture out to see the fireworks in a public place, the city reminds you to maintain physical distancing from people not in your household, to wear cloth face coverings, to avoid sharing food and drink, and to bring hand sanitizer.

You’ll also be able to watch the fireworks on TV (WEAU and WQOW) and online (WQOW’s Facebook page) as well as tune into the musical accompaniment that is typically blasted in Carson Park (turn to WAXX 104.5).

For more details about the fireworks, visit the city’s website. And if you’re missing the traditional festivities the Chippewa Valley Museum typically holds in Carson Park, check out their virtual Fourth of July celebration.

Happy Independence Day, America! You don’t look a day over 243!