Lufkin’s 20th Annual Fireworks Extravaganza: Your Ultimate 4th of July Guide
The 20th Annual City of Lufkin Fireworks Extravaganza presented by Mike Love and Associates is Friday, July 4, at Ellen Trout Park. Activities, live entertainment, and food truck sales will begin at 5 p.m.
The biggest and best fireworks display between Houston and Dallas will start around 9:15 p.m. The choreographed music can be heard live on KICKS 105.
Let's answer some of the most asked questions.
Live Entertainment
The stage will be set up on the southeast side of Ellen Trout Lake, in between the train depot and the playground area.
Fry Music will start their set at 5 p.m., followed by Eric Chin at 6. Then, Caleb Lane will play from 7 - 9 p.m.
Activities at the Park/Zoo
Food trucks and other vendor booths will be open beginning at 5. Other features include a foam pit area with Foam-O-Rama, balloon art with Dr. Rainbow, Selfie Studio with V-Photobooth, and a live KICKS 105 Road Show.
Ellen Trout Zoo will be open until 4:30 p.m. The Z&OO Railroad will be running holiday hours (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
What You Can/Can't Bring
Limited bleacher space will be available, so bring your blankets, beach towels, or lawn chairs. No pets, no fireworks, no alcoholic beverages, and no glass containers will be allowed.
Admission/Parking/Shuttle
No vehicle traffic will be allowed into the park grounds (Zoo Circle Drive) after 4 p.m. Admission into the park area is free.
Free Parking will be available at the George H. Henderson Jr. Expo Center parking lots. Depending on where you park, your walk into the main park area could be anywhere from a quarter mile to a mile walk.
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Loop 287 from Highway 59 to the Kurth Drive Overpass will be closed to traffic from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. That area of the Loop will basically be a large parking lot/viewing area during that time. Parking along the shoulder/grassy areas of Loop 287 will be allowed, just get in place before the Loop closes at 8 p.m.
Lufkin ISD school buses will run a free shuttle service from the Lufkin High School parking lot to Ellen Trout Park.
This will be available from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. After the conclusion of the fireworks show, buses will begin shuttling passengers back to Lufkin High School.
Best Places to View the Fireworks Show
To get the full effect of the fireworks display, you should pick a spot somewhere along the shoreline of Ellen Trout Lake. The 22+ minute show will feature many remarkable barrages that barely make it to the top of the surrounding tree line. These will only be visible to those surrounding the lake.
Anyone viewing the show from the north Loop or anywhere outside the Ellen Trout Park area will still be treated to an exhilarating display, but will miss out on the low-level fireworks.
Mike Love & Associates
2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Mike Love & Associates Law Firm presenting the City of Lufkin Fireworks Extravaganza.
Mike Love and his crew not only present the event, but they are also the licensed pyrotechnic team that organizes and detonates the fireworks.
Be sure and visit their booth next to the stage for free goodies while they last. Also, get registered to have the chance to be the lucky person who gets to remotely fire off the first firework of the show.
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Gallery Credit: Danny Merrell