Red White & Boom 2026
Red White & Boom 2026 is the main 4th of July celebration for Peoria & East Peoria, however, there are holiday events in surrounding Peoria areas as well as alternative holiday festivities. Check out our listing of the 2026 4th of July celebration events.
Celebrate on the 4th with the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s 4th of July Backyard BBQ from 6 – 10 pm. Guests can explore the museum’s galleries including the Toytopia exhibition, the Spirit of America laser show, Giant Screen Theatre movies, $5 educational movies plus enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet by Cracked Pepper with a cash bar. Admission for the general public is $70 and $40 for ages 3-12, and for PRM members is $60 and $30 for ages 3-12. Ages 2 and under are free.
If you’d like to see the Peoria fireworks but in a more private setting, the 4th of July BBQ at East Port Banquet Center in East Peoria is a great choice. Featuring live music by Dexter O’Neal and the Funk Yard, Barrack’s Cater Inn’s BBQ dinner buffet and dessert plus a cash bar, you can then watch the Peoria fireworks from the private deck on the riverfront (or stay in the air conditioning to watch). Cost is $65 per person. Call 309-692-3990 to make reservations.
The Annual Peoria Historical Society’s Flanagan House Museum 4th of July event will take place on the back lawn of Peoria’s oldest standing home (942 NE Glen Oak Ave. in Peoria) beginning at 6 pm. Admission is $5 for adults or $2 for children under 12 and docent guided tours of the house will be available for an additional $5. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating. Refreshments will be available for for purchase.
The Boys & Girls Clubs’ Annual July 4th Family Fun Fest on the Peoria Riverfront in the parking lot across from Kelleher’s on Water Street will begin at 5 pm. Featuring a gated festival area with music, children’s games and events plus an all-you-can-eat food court, soft drinks and water. Beer & wine sales are also available. Packages are $300 and include 2 parking passes for your cars at a nearby lot, 8 admission tickets for a reserved spot to enjoy the fireworks.
The Annual Red, White & Boom 2026 fireworks celebration on the Peoria riverfront are choreographed with music to be broadcast on 7 radio stations owned by Midwest Communications scheduled to begin at 9:30 pm.
Surrounding Community 4th of July Fireworks
The Annual Fireworks at Three Sisters Park will take place in Chillicothe on Route 29. Gates open at 4 pm with fireworks beginning dusk. Admission is free (donations are requested) and there will be concessions and a cash bar. No pets or fireworks are allowed on site. Parking is done on a first-come, first-served basis.
Morton’s Annual Fireworks display will take place on Wednesday, July 3rd at McClallen Park at the corner of U.S. Route 150 (East Jackson Street) with gates opening at 4 pm. 7 Bridges will perform at 6 pm until dark. There will also be food vendors, a beer tent, a “Kid’s Zone” with inflatables and the fireworks beginning at dusk. Admission is free. Bring blankets and chairs.
The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce will host their 2024 4th of July Honor America Celebration at Pekin High School Memorial Stadium on July 4 with gates opening at 6 pm. Fireworks will begin at dusk. Limited concessions will be available. Stadium seating is free or VIP Field Seating is $5 for adults or $1 for kids aged 5 – 12. No coolers or cooler bags, alcohol, or outside fireworks. Bags subject to search. Rain date is July 5.
Other 4th of July Events
The 47th Annual Peoria Jaycees Firecracker 5000 5k mile run/walk will take place on Thursday, July 4th beginning at 7:30 pm. The 3.1-mile flat course through downtown Peoria and along the Riverfront. Registration is $38.53. Kids aged 10 and under are half-price.
The West Peoria 4th of July Parade will begin at the corner of Sterling Ave. and Rohmann Ave. in West Peoria beginning at 10 am. This is central Illinois’ longest-running 4th of July parade.
