Emporia State University invites the public to campus on Tuesday, July 4, to watch the community fireworks display.
Public viewing is available on the ESU practice fields on the north end of campus and inside Welch Stadium. (The nearby soccer pitch will be closed to the public.)
The stadium will be open at 7 p.m. People are welcome to view from the field by sitting on blankets. Chairs of any kind are prohibited on the turf and track. Seating also is available on the west side of the stadium, which includes seats with backs. No food or drink is allowed on the track or field.
The fireworks display will be shot from the soccer fields north of Interstate 35. It will begin between 9:45 and 10 p.m. on Tuesday and last approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
Parking is available in nearly all of the lots on campus. All on the west side of campus, down the hill by the ESU Student Recreation Center and the gravel lot at the north end of campus are easily accessible to vehicles.
Construction of Highland Street will bring specific traffic flow patterns for the parking lots on the east side of campus across from the Memorial Union and the Towers Complex, plus the two parking lots across Highland Street from the art annex that are available for handicapped parking and viewing.
Access to these lots on the east side are available from Market Street, which runs one way north from 12th Avenue. After the fireworks display, the direction of Market Street will be reversed for people to exit campus via Market Street heading south to 12th Avenue. Law enforcement officers will direct traffic.
To view map of parking for the event with entrance and exit via Market Street, go to emporia.link/fireworks.
For those wanting to make a celebration that evening, tailgating is available in ESU parking lots beginning at 7 p.m. Neither alcohol nor personal fireworks are allowed on campus. Special containers will be available to dispose of hot coals.