Gwinnett’s annual Independence Day celebration will take over downtown Lawrenceville again this year on July 4, with fireworks, food, live music by Tim Purcell and the Mustangs, and plenty of free activities for kids. Festivities get underway on the Historic Courthouse Square at 5 p.m. and conclude with a 15-minute fireworks show at about 9:45 p.m.

The fireworks will be programmed to a music track that will be broadcast by sponsor Eagle 106.7 FM. Television coverage will be provided by the County’s TVgwinnett on cable channel 23 and streamed online at gwinnettcounty.com starting at 8 p.m. Other major sponsors include Coca-Cola, the Gwinnett Daily Post, Jordan, Jones and Goulding, and the Gwinnett Parks Foundation. Almost four dozen local businesses provided funding for the event as a gift to the community.

Parking and fireworks viewing will be available as usual at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center main lot on Langley Drive, at the One Justice Square building on Crogan Street, at the Gwinnett County Government Annex building on Perry Street and the new Court Annex building on Stone Mountain Street. The new downtown parking deck adjacent to the Aurora Theater will also be open.

The area behind the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center will be restricted as usual due to safety considerations since the fireworks are launched from a Nash Street parking lot. Constitution Boulevard, Nash Street, Lumpkin Street and a portion of Culver Street will be closed to vehicle traffic along with three sides of the courthouse square.

Free children’s activities include a Big Rig slide, Clown Bounce, Crazy Copters, a Ferris Wheel, train and pony rides, a petting zoo, a rock climbing wall and magic shows. Clowns, jugglers and a stilt walker will entertain crowds expected to number near 70,000. The Sheriff’s Department will be making free children’s identification and fire vehicles will be on display. A variety of local vendors will offer various foods and snacks for sale.