By Shane Ware
The annual Stadium of Fire in Provo is not the only option for students who are looking to enjoy a celestial extravaganza.
The Salt Lake Stingers baseball team plays at Franklin Covey Field in Salt Lake City on July 3 against the Sacramento River Cats at 7 p.m. and will have a fireworks show afterwards.
Korban Lee, from Cortez, Colorado, a graduate student in public administration, has been to the show at Franklin Covey Field.
'It''s a big hit. You watch the game and then after, everyone in the stands sits down in the outfield and they do fireworks,' Lee said.
Tickets for the game and fireworks are still available. Call (801) 485-3800 for information.
For those students who enjoy the feel of Stadium of Fire, but prefer a different music genre, Huey Lewis & The News and Shedaisy will perform at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the University of Utah campus.
Chicago and They Might Be Giants performed at last year''s event, preceded by the Beach Boys in 1999.
Tickets for the annual Red Hot Stadium Extravaganza can be purchased at all SmithTix locations.
Nearby Murray City will have its annual fireworks show at the Murray Park Softball Field on the Fourth of July.
The celebration is known for the fun activities that go on all day, including swimming, volleyball and barbecues.
Brad Smith, a junior with an undeclared major, is a Murray resident and rates the fireworks 'in the top three' of those in Utah.
He adds that easy parking is an extra incentive to go.
Murray Park is located at the I-15/I-215West junction in Salt Lake County.
For those students who are looking for fireworks combined with outdoor fun, southern Utah has the answer.
Lake Powell''s Fourth of July celebration is sure to wet the appetite as the fireworks are launched off the Glen Canyon Dam towards Lake Powell.
The celebration is located off of Lake Shore Drive and will begin around 8:45 pm. It will last for an hour.
Students who are into the country music scene will find St. George, Washington County, a suitable location to spend the holiday.
The tradition at the Sun Bowl in downtown St. George is a competition of country singers, accompanied by day-long activities, capped with fireworks at dark.
The gorgeous summertime St. George weather lures visitors from around the state and country for its festivities.
With the 2002 Winter Olympics right around the corner, Park City, Summit County, has raised its stocks as a prime location for Independence Day celebration.
This year, the bobsled and luge track will be open for public use during the day, with fireworks at night.
Smith went to Park City for the Fourth of July last year.
'The fireworks (in Park City) weren''t as good as those in Salt Lake City, but the atmosphere was supreme,' he said. 'You can do almost anything before the show: hiking, biking, play in the park, whatever you would like.'
To view all the fireworks of Salt Lake City, Smith suggests heading to Ensign Peak located north of the Capitol Building.
'There you sit on the hill, and you can see like four different firework shows,' he said. 'The only downside is that they are pretty far away and you don''t get to feel the boom of the fireworks exploding.'
Students who prefer not to feel the bang of the firework shows around the state, but still would like to relax, are invited to head to Bear Lake; Garden City, Rich County; or Idaho to enjoy the water.
Although no official city fireworks are planned at the lake, many students take their own legal fireworks to accompany the water-skiing and boating activities of the day.
Dallas Oler, a junior from North Ogden, Weber County, majoring in broadcast journalism, has gone to Bear Lake several times to celebrate the Fourth.
'The reflection of the fireworks in the lake as several different groups do their own shows is unbeatable,' he said. 'Plus, you get to spend the day in the water.'
Utah offers many options for BYU students with all types of interests to celebrate the nation''s birth.