LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The Fourth on Broadway returns Saturday with a full day of free events, including a parade, an afternoon picnic, evening concert and fireworks show at the South Plains Fairgrounds.
The day begins at 9:45 a.m. with a parade on Broadway, featuring 115 floats traveling two miles from Avenue M to MLK Boulevard.
“It’s the longest or biggest parade I’ve been a part of. And there’s floats, there’s cars, there’s horses, there’s walking groups, all of it. It’ll be super fun,” executive event director Katie Sandifer said.
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Afternoon picnic
Gates open at the South Plains Fairgrounds at 3 p.m. for the Picnic Under the Stars. The afternoon portion includes a car show, a kid’s area, food and craft vendors, and a daytime concert stage featuring local Lubbock music.
Attendees may bring chairs, tents and coolers with food and drinks. Alcohol, BBQ grills and non-service pets are not permitted inside the fairgrounds.
“Don’t bring your BBQ grill. Please. We won’t permit those inside the event either. You’ve got plenty of food vendors to buy from. And your pets, if they’re coming into the fairgrounds, they need to be service animals and leashed and harnessed and all of that,” Sandifer said.
Evening concert and fireworks
The evening concert begins at 7 p.m. with performances by Mariachi Mi Tierra, Louie TheSinger and LIT. The fireworks show is scheduled to start around 10 p.m.
The event moved from Mackenzie Park to the South Plains Fairgrounds last year due to rain. Civic Lubbock, now in its second year hosting the Fourth on Broadway, kept the fairgrounds location for 2026.
“It evolves based on what we can do and other factors, things like that. But we still get to provide it for the community and the concert and the fireworks and the parade are everyone’s favorite. So those will always be there,” Sandifer said.
Parking and streaming
Free parking is available across the street from the fairgrounds at the corner of 19th Street and Canyon Lakes Drive, with a free shuttle to the fairgrounds. Paid parking at the fairgrounds is $5. There are no events at Mackenzie Park this year.
The fireworks show will also stream on the free KCBD streaming app and at KCBD.com.
Sandifer said she is honored to continue the tradition started by festival creator Don Caldwell.
“He was such a driving force of this festival. Really everything in its bones and its core values come from him. So, it’s so special to me to be able to continue that for him and keep his legacy going in that,” she said.
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