Every Independence Day, the Valley becomes a literal boom town as colorful cannonades of fireworks burst above cities from Apache Junction to Avondale. But there's one display that shines brighter than the rest: the annual Fabulous Phoenix 4th at Steele Indian School Park. Boasting the largest free fireworks display in Arizona, the event sets off more than 7,800 aerial effects each year over midtown Phoenix. A local tradition since the 1980s, the Fabulous Phoenix 4th draws anywhere from 40,000 to 80,000 people to the park for a 25-minute spectacle that dazzles and delights. It's a stunning and soul-stirring celebration of America's birthday, with each explosion a marvel unto itself. Rivulets of golden fire rain down like molten sparks from a celestial forge. Glowing serpentine streaks shimmer and sparkle while twisting through the warm evening air. And thunderous booms echo as dazzling blue stars erupt before painting the heavens in sapphire light. A cacophonous grand finale caps off the fireworks display with a luminously vibrant barrage of hundreds of fireworks detonating within a minute or so, evoking author (and Arizona resident) Alan Dean Foster's declaration that "freedom is just chaos, with better lighting."