Polk County Fourth of July fireworks: Where to watch in Lakeland, Winter Haven Friday night

LAKELAND, Fla. - If you're looking to celebrate the Fourth of July a day early, you have two big options in Polk County on Friday night.

Polk County Fourth of July events

The backstory:

Lakeland and Winter Haven are both hosting Independence Day celebrations featuring fireworks, live entertainment, food and activities for the whole family.

Lakeland's annual Red, White, and Kaboom! celebration typically draws between 30,000 and 50,000 people to downtown's Lake Mirror.

This year's event, part of the nation's America 250 celebration, will feature a 15-minute fireworks show, live music and the First Friday night market.

City officials expect large crowds and encourage attendees to plan to arrive early. 

"We have First Friday happening as well as Red, White, and Kaboom! So, we're looking to see a lot of people in downtown Lakeland," a city of Lakeland spokesperson said. "That's why it's important that you plan for parking well before you get here, and you can do that with the interactive map that's on our website."

The celebration begins at 6 p.m., with fireworks expected to start around 9 p.m.

Early fireworks

Dig deeper:

Organizers chose to celebrate early due to the annual fireworks at Publix Field at Joker Marchant on July 4 following the Lakeland Flying Tigers baseball game. 

For additional event details, visit here.

Winter Haven America 250 celebration

Winter Haven is also celebrating America 250 tonight along the shores of Lake Silver.

Rockin' Freedom Fest will take place at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The event begins at 5 p.m. and includes live music, a water ski show, food vendors, family activities, food trucks, a watermelon eating contest and a fireworks finale at sunset.

Organizers say the celebration is designed to offer something for all ages as families gather to kick off the holiday weekend.

More information can be found here.