CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Cities across Iowa are preparing to host annual Independence Day fireworks displays!

Here is a list of displays you can see in eastern Iowa this year:

Bettendorf

• Parade at 10 a.m. on July 4 in downtown Bettendorf
• 4th of July Festival from noon to 10 p.m. on Spruce Hills Drive in front of Cumberland Square
• Fireworks at Middle Park at dusk
• More info

Cedar Falls

• Fireworks Over the Dome at 9:40 p.m. on June 27

Cedar Rapids

• Ellis Fireworks on the River at 9 p.m. on July 3 – more info
• Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival – Celebration of Freedom Fireworks
• Fireworks start at dark on July 4 in downtown Cedar Rapids
• More info

Charles City

• Fourth of July Celebration from July 3-6
• Fourth of July Parade begins at 11 a.m. on July 4, then fireworks by the Cedar River in the evening
• Main Street Charles City’s Party in the Park on July 5
• July 6 – magician show, cornhole tournament
• More info

Coralville

• Coralville’s annual 4thFest parade at 10 a.m. on July 4, starting and ending at the corner of 9th Street and 22nd Avenue
• Fireworks display in S.T. Morrison Park at dark, around 9:45 p.m.

Garnavillo

• Festivities from July 3-4, more info here
• Parade at 10 a.m.
• Fireworks display at dusk

Independence

• Celebrate Indee July 3-4 at Riverwalk Parks
• July 4 – festivities begin in Riverwalk Parks at 10:45 a.m.
• Fireworks over the Wapsipinicon River at 10 p.m. on July 4
• More info

Marion

• Marion’s 5th annual Fireworks & Fireflies celebration on July 3 at Klopfenstein Amphitheater at Lowe Park, starting at 6 p.m.
• More info

Mechanicsville

• Fireworks at dusk on 125th Street at dusk
• More info

Muscatine

• Kids Parade (Pearl Plaza to Musser Public Library) at 9 a.m.
• Community parade in downtown Muscatine at 4 p.m.
• Almost Fireworks Fest on the Riverfront, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Muscatine Symphony Orchestra at 8:10 p.m.
• Fireworks at dusk
• More info

North Liberty

• Fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. on July 3 in Penn Meadows Park
• More info

Oxford Junction

• 4th of July Parade starts at 4 p.m. at Midland Elementary School, ends at Wapsi Park
• Fireworks display at dusk at Wapsi Park
• More info

Tama/Toledo

• Annual fireworks display at dusk on July 4 at the Toledo Heights Park
• More info

Tipton

• 4th of July Parade at 11 a.m.
• Fireworks at dusk at the Cedar County Fairgrounds
• More info

Washington

• 4th of July fireworks display at 9:15 p.m. at the Washington County Fairgrounds
• More info

Waterloo

• Waterloo’s annual fireworks event from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on July 6, along the Cedar River downtown.
• Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. on July 6

Wellman

• North Park activities begin at 4 p.m. on July 4
• Fireworks at dusk

Know of other communities holding fireworks displays? Send us the information at newsroom@kcrg.com.

Share your 4th of July celebration photos with us:

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A semi-retired doctor and his wife are helping patients navigate Tourette Syndrome.

Tourette Syndrome is characterized by tics. These are compulsive movements or sounds people can’t control. Less than 1% of the population has the condition.

Dr. Scott Nau thought he knew about Tourette Syndrome from his medical training. However, he said his real “degree” in the field came from his marriage to Jackie, who has Tourette’s.

Jackie said having Tourette is “so much more than embarrassment and humiliation,” although she added those definitely “rank way up there”.

“I spent a year and half of my life grabbing my crotch, and there’s no way you can put a shine on that, especially for a woman,” she said. “That’s while I had a great career of cutting hair, and it makes you feel undignified no matter where I go.”

Obscene gestures and unusual sounds are embarrassing, but Jackie said what people don’t understand is that Tourette Syndrome is also anxiety and physical pain. After a lifetime of head and neck tics, Jackie had significant arthritis issues in her neck and got neck surgery a few months ago.

“I got a tiny scar there, and that was pretty brutal to go through that, and to know that it came from this disorder that I’d give anything not to have.”

Jackie said the pain and the embarrassment were made all the worse by the fact she didn’t know anyone else like her until her forties.

“When I mostly retired a couple of years ago, I realized that my patients who did have Tourette Syndrome really didn’t have the support that they need,” said Dr. Scott Nau, Jackie’s husband. “And so we decided to team up.”

With a parent’s permission, Jackie will sit in on meeting with doctor and patient. The couple goes out to lunch with patients, and they will even go to kids’ schools and explain Tourette Syndrome to their classmates and teachers.

“Oftentimes, peers become warriors for their friends if they know what’s going on,” said Scott.

Two patients the Naus have worked with are Rachel Peters from North Liberty and Torrie Davis from Cedar Rapids.

Davis was diagnosed in 2022, and Peters not until a couple of months ago.

“I will go to the bathroom and have to cry out of embarrassment because, you know, it’s very—it’s very hard,” said Peters.

Both girls said the help from the Naus has been literally life changing.

“Jackie is like a second mom,” said Davis. “She’s a role model.”

Jackie herself wishes for friendship like these girls have—someone else with Tourette Syndrome who can truly understand.

“I long for a female adult friend in my orbit,” she said.

Still, she’s determined to help younger generations avoid the isolation or the shame she has known.

“I know that I was born this way for a reason, and God has entrusted me to get the message out.”

Patients do not need a referral to see Dr. Nau about existing or suspected Tourette’s syndrome. Call Mercy Pediatric Clinic at (319) 861-7900 to make an appointment. He can usually see them within a few days.

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

Brad Fitzgibbon extracted everything he could out of his Iowa official visit this past weekend. He accomplished it with planning and a thorough approach. 

The moves included asking his sister, Kadyn Fitzgibbon, to join him and their parents, Scott and Lindsay Fitzgibbon, this past weekend in Iowa City. Brad realized his older sibling, a junior gymnast at the University of Illinois, could help.  

“I was glad she was able to meet the coaches and talk with them also,” Brad said.

Iowa was the last of officials to his three finalists – Iowa, Kansas, Michigan State. It included the ’25 Hawkeye commitments and other top targets in the class. 

“My Iowa visit was an awesome way to end my official visits. I have met so many great coaches, who are also great people,” Fitzgibbon said.

He decided earlier this month that he would be announcing his commitment on Tuesday. Bringing his recruitment to a close has been challenging. 

“You build relationships beyond football when you go through your recruiting process, which is great until you have to make a final choice. My top three schools have done a great job recruiting me, but ultimately I can only pick one school,” he said.

“One of the hardest choices I have had to make that I can remember, for sure, but my family has really helped me organize my thoughts and priorities, which I am so grateful for. I do know how lucky I am to have that.”

Fitzgibbon visited the Hawkeyes back in early April. They offered him a scholarship  about a month later. The official proved to be an enjoyable experience. 

“I loved hanging with the players, recruits and commits. I really got a chance to see the culture of the team and also get to know the other 2025 guys,” he said.

Fitzgibbon was hosted by Iowa sophomore defensive back John Nestor. They played together at Chicago Marist in ’22. 

“He was one of the guys I looked up to as an underclassman, so having him again show me what Iowa was all about was really cool,” Fitzgibbon said.

While Brad was getting to know the Hawkeyes, his parents mingled with other families. 

“They really enjoyed everything about the visit and had a great time with the other parents, too. There were a number of Illinois and Chicago people, so lots of connections to be made,” Brad said. 

Fitzgibbon shines during his junior highlight video. He consistently pushes the pocket with his head up and eyes on the target before disengaging and making the stop. 

The 247Sports Composite ranking has Fitzgibbon as a three-star prospect, the No. 90 DL nationally in ’25 and the 23rd best player overall in Illinois for the cycle. The On3 Industry Ranking also sees him as a three-star recruit. That site puts him No. 82 on the D-Line and 24th in his state. 

Iowa has collected three commitments from the weekend, so far. Cameron Herron, Lucas Allgeyer and CJ Bell announced they’d be Hawkeyes. It raised the number of the program’s ’25 class members to 11. 

Tuesday will tell us if Fitzgibbon gets Iowa to 12.