Your Guide: Independence Day 2012 fireworks and parades

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One of the highlights of summer for me is the week of July 4.

Of course, it’s great to have an extra day off of work, but what makes the holiday extra special are the dazzling displays of pyrotechnics, lighting up the night sky all week long.

Even though it’s one day early, the U.S. Bank Fireworks Show makes the Fourth of July for me. It's the biggest, the loudest, and the longest Independence Day celebration. But, the festivities in southeastern Wisconsin don't stop on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Of course, Milwaukee County Parks and other communities have parades and fireworks displays planned on July 4.

However, due to severe drought conditions in southern Milwaukee County with nary a raindrop in the forecast again this week, several municipalities have issued a temporary ban on fireworks; some cities have even canceled their fireworks displays altogether. Still, many public Fourth of July fireworks shows will go on as planned.

Below is a rundown of the area's scheduled Independence Day fireworks and parades. Note: all events take place Wednesday, July 4, unless otherwise indicated.

Milwaukee County

• Bayside: parade, 9 a.m., starting at Bayside Middle School and ending at Ellsworth Park
• Cudahy: parade, noon, along Lake Drive from Grange Ave. to Armour Ave.; fireworks, dusk, Sheridan Park
• Fox Point: parade, 9 a.m., starting at the Police Department and ending at Longacre Pavilion
• Franklin: parade, 11 a.m., Lion's Legends Park; fireworks, 9:30 p.m., Lion's Legends Park
• Glendale: parade, 10:30 a.m., along Milwaukee River Parkway from Parkway School to Kletzsch Park; fireworks, 9:15 a.m., Kletzsch Park
• Greendale: parade, 10 a.m., starting at W. Grange Ave. and Northway, to Greendale High School; fireworks, 9:15 p.m., Greendale High School
• Greenfield: parade, 12:15 p.m., along Layton Ave. from 68th St. to Konkel Park; fireworks, dusk, Konkel Park
• Hales Corners: parade, 4 p.m., starting at 102nd St. and Forest Home Ave., and ending at Village Hall; fireworks, dusk, Hales Corners Park
• Milwaukee: The City of Milwaukee has activities in a number of county parks on the Fourth. For info, go to city.milwaukee.gov/July4th. Here's a rundown of the parades and fireworks.
• Alcott: parade, 9 a.m., starting at 3575 S. 88th St.; fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
• Enderis: parade, 8:30 a.m., starting at 81st St. School and Mother of Good Counsel Church
• Gordon: fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
• Humboldt: parade, 9 a.m., starting at Kinnickinnic Ave. & Linus St.; 9:15 p.m., fireworks
• Jackson: parade, 8:45 a.m., starting at Loyola Family Center and St. Gregory the Great School; fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
• Lake: parade, 9 a.m., starting at Hartford Ave. School and Maryland Ave. School; fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
• Lincoln: fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
• Mitchell: parade, 8:45 a.m.; fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
• Noyes: parade, 8:45 a.m.; fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
• Sherman: parade, 9:30 a.m., starting at St. Catherine's Church
• Washington: fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
• Wilson: parades, starting at Harris Bank parking lot, 3131 S. 13th St., and Wilson Park Recreation; fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
• Oak Creek: parade, 9 a.m., starting at Groveland Drive and Shepard Ave., and ending at American Legion Post 434; fireworks, 9 p.m., East Middle School
• Shorewood: parade, 3:30 p.m., along N. Oakland Ave. from E. Kensington Blvd. to Spector Field at River Park; fireworks, 9:30 p.m., Atwater Park
• South Milwaukee: parade, 10 a.m., Grant Park; fireworks, 9:30 p.m., Grant Park
• St. Francis: parade, 10 a.m., starting Norwich and Barland avenues and ending at Milt Vretenar Park; fireworks, 9:15 p.m., Milt Vretenar Park
• Wauwatosa: parade, 9 a.m., along W. North Ave. from 104th St. to 80th St.; fireworks, 9:15 p.m., Hart Park
• West Allis: parade, 7 p.m. July 2, starting at Wisconsin State Fair Park (77th St. and Greenfield Ave.), and going to Veterans' Memorial Park (70th St. and National Ave.); fireworks, 9:30 p.m. July 4, State Fair Park Grandstand
• Whitefish Bay: parade, 11:30 a.m., starting at Kent Ave. and Silver Spring Drive, and ending at Klode Park; fireworks, 9:30 p.m., Klode Park

Ozaukee County

• Cedarburg: parade, 10 a.m., starting at Firemen's Park, and ending at Spring St. and Washington Ave.; fireworks, dusk, Cedar Creek Park
• Grafton: parade, 2 p.m. June 30, starting at Harris Bank at First Ave. and Falls Road, and ending at Lime Kiln Park; fireworks, dusk, Lime Kiln Park
• Mequon/Thiensville: parade, 10:30 a.m. June 30, starting at Weyenberg Library in Mequon and ending at Thiensville Village Park; fireworks, dusk, Village Park
• Port Washington: parade, 11 a.m., downtown; fireworks, dusk, lakefront
• Saukville: parade, 1 p.m., starting on S. Main St. and ending at Saukville Elementary School; fireworks, dusk, Peninsula Park

Washington County

• Germantown: parade, noon, starting at Pilgrim and Mequon roads and ending in Firemen's Park; fireworks, dusk, Firemen's Park
• Hartford: parade, 2 p.m., along N. Main St. to Veterans Park; fireworks, dusk, Lincoln Athletic Field
• Kewaskum: fireworks, dusk on July 3, Riverhill Park
• West Bend: parade, 9:30 a.m., along Main St.; fireworks, 9:40 p.m., Riverside Park

Waukesha County

• Brookfield: parade, 10 a.m., starting at Gebhardt Road near Brookfield Central High School and ending at Norhardt Road and Civic Drive; fireworks, 9:15 p.m., Mitchell Park
• Town of Brookfield: parade, 9 a.m., Marx Park
• Butler: parade, 2 p.m., along 127th St. to Frontier Park; fireworks, dusk, Frontier Park
• Delafield: parade, 10 a.m.; fireworks, dusk, over Lake Nagawicka
• Menomonee Falls: parade, 7 p.m. July 3, starting at Appleton Ave. and Elm St., and ending at Menomonee Falls High School; fireworks, 9:15 p.m., Menomonee Falls High School
• Muskego: fireworks, dusk on July 3, Idle Isle Park
• New Berlin: parade, 1 p.m., along National Ave. from Sunny Slope Road to Malone Park; fireworks, 10 p.m., Malone Park
• Oconomowoc: parade, 4 p.m. June 30, starting at Roosevelt Field and ending at Fowler Park; fireworks, dusk Fowler Park
• Pewaukee: parade, 4 p.m., along Wisconsin Ave. from Pewaukee School District parking lot to Village Park; fireworks, dusk, over Pewaukee Lake
• Sussex: fireworks, 9:20 p.m., Sussex Village Park
• Waukesha: parade, 11 a.m., starting at Cutler Park and ending at Frame Park; fireworks, 9:30 p.m., Waukesha County Exposition Center

Original photo from commons.wikimedia.org by Ian Kluft. Event listings from the Journal Sentinel.