The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department.
IDAHO FALLS – The Idaho Falls Police Department and partner agencies are sharing traffic closures, information, and safety tips to help community members plan for the annual 4th of July events in Idaho Falls.
More than 200,000 community members and visitors will celebrate our nation’s independence during gatherings, including the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce Liberty on Parade, Riverbend’s
Riverfest, and the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration. The City of Idaho Falls staff is proud to assist the
entities that host these events.
Anyone attending these events is encouraged to plan ahead to ensure a safe and enjoyable Independence Day.
GENERAL RULES
Call 911 in the event of an emergency. Please keep 911 lines clear for actual emergencies. To contact
public safety for non-emergent issues, call (208) 529-1200. If you are attending the parade, Riverfest, or
the Freedom Celebration and, due to congestion around the events, you are not able to successfully
place/receive phone calls or text messages, go to the IFPD post at the events (see below) or flag down one
of the Idaho Falls Police Officers or Idaho Falls Fire & EMS personnel roving through the events.
Report any criminal activity. Every Idaho Falls Police Department officer, Emergency Communications
Officer and many other IFPD staff will be working on the 4th of July.
We thank the public for their patience as officers address calls for service as quickly as possible, as well as other safety and criminal concerns throughout the day.
LIBERTY ON PARADE
The annual 4th of July parade, Liberty on Parade hosted by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 4th. The parade route begins near Idaho Falls High School at the intersection of 4th Street and South Holmes Avenue, travels West on 4th Street, turns South on South
Boulevard, and concludes at the intersection of South Boulevard and Rogers Street.
Idaho Falls Police Officers will be roving along the parade route and in the surrounding area on bike and
on foot. A manned post of IFPD Officers will be at 10th Street and South Boulevard near Common Cents. Look for the blue Idaho Falls Police canopy.
Pedestrian foot traffic and people lining the parade route begins hours before the start of the parade.
Residents and anyone traveling within at least a mile of the parade route should expect to encounter
congested traffic, crowds, and pedestrians. Drivers are asked to avoid the area if they are not attending
the parade and to otherwise use caution in the area.
Parking along the parade route is not permitted after 5 a.m. on July 4th until after the conclusion of the
parade. Anyone who leaves a vehicle parked along the parade route, or in the parade staging area, after
5 a.m. for any length of time risks being cited and/or having the vehicle towed.
For a full list of road closures due to the parade, visit our website.
RIVERFEST & FREEDOM CELEBRATION
The annual Riverfest and Melaleuca Freedom Celebration take place at Snake River Landing. For full details from the event organizers regarding the schedule of events, parking information, etc. visit their respective websites.
Crowds begin gathering at Snake River Landing in the early afternoon and continue to grow throughout the evening. Event organizers estimate that over 200,000 people gather in and around Snake River Landing to watch the fireworks display each year.
Due to the large number of people in the area, cell phone service at Snake River Landing becomes unreliable in the early to late evening and continues until after the majority of attendees have dispersed after the fireworks. Attendees should plan to be unable to send text messages or place phone calls during this time period. It is wise to discuss safety plans with children and adults in your group, including child safety, where you will meet if you are separated, and where to seek emergency assistance at the event if you cannot place a call to 911.
Idaho Falls Police Officers will be roving through Snake River Landing on bike and on foot throughout the event. A manned post of IFPD Officers and staff will be located at the Northeast corner of Snake River Parkway and Event Center Drive starting in the early afternoon for Riverfest and the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration. Look for the blue Idaho Falls Police canopy.
As a reminder to attendees, Snake River Landing is private property and the venue is being made available for the public. Attendees are encouraged to be respectful of private property, and to be cooperative with all Snake River Landing staff, private security and City of Idaho Falls staff working to ensure an enjoyable and safe celebration. Anyone found not complying with rules or laws may be asked to leave. For the safety of all attendees and to limit potential disruption to the fireworks display, the following rules are in effect during the event:
NO PERSONAL FIREWORKS: Due to the location of the fireworks launch site and Riverfest, the highly congested and grassy areas around Snake River Landing, and for the safety of persons attending the event, the Fire Marshal has restricted any and all personal fireworks, including sparklers, from Lochsa Drive, south to Sunnyside Drive, and from the Capital Avenue River Walk west to the Porter Canal.
NO DRONES: Community members are asked not to fly drones at any of the Independence Day festivities, and are reminded that flying drones in the airspace around Snake River Landing on the 4th of July is prohibited due to helicopters already in the airspace. Flying personal drones creates unsafe situations for helicopters that have reserved the airspace with the FAA, and also for first responder use of drones in emergency situations.
NO ALCOHOL: Event organizers and property owners have prohibited all alcohol at Snake River Landing.
NO ATV’s: No private ATVs, dirt bikes, go carts or other motorized vehicles will be permitted at Snake River Landing.
WATER SAFETY: People are asked to stay out of the river, canals and water features in and around Snake River Landing, including the Snake River. The waterways may look refreshing on a hot day, but there are many hidden dangers and water levels are high and fast. Water features at Snake River Landing may contain additives that are unsafe for people and pets.
EMERGENCY TRAFFIC: Keep emergency vehicle lanes open to allow public safety personnel to respond quickly and safely. When needed, please make safe efforts to make space for public safety personnel to get through quickly, whether on foot, bike, or in a vehicle.
PARKING INFORMATION
Those attending the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration should plan to arrive early and should not expect to access Snake River Landing at the last minute. Attendees should review the Parking & Exiting Map provided by event organizers for recommended parking areas based on your destination following the fireworks. Event organizers also have specific parking plans for handicap access available on their website. When the fireworks conclude, traffic from each parking lot will flow in a pre-determined direction. Be sure to choose a parking lot that will exit in the direction you need to go after the show.
Any unmarked areas are “No Parking”. Please only park in the indicated spaces or lots to allow emergency vehicle access throughout the event area. There is no on-street parking allowed anywhere on Snake River Pkwy, Pioneer Road, Event Center Drive, or Sunnyside between I-15 and Yellowstone Hwy, and Yellowstone Hwy between Sunnyside and Pancheri at any time on the 4th of July. Vehicles parked in these areas risk towing or citation.
Complex traffic plans have been put in place through partnerships with Melaleuca, Snake River Landing, the Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho State Police, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, City of Idaho Falls, and the Idaho Falls Police Department. These partners spend many hours during the months leading up to the event coordinating and preparing for these events.
Traffic plans have been created to maximize safety and efficiency as people are exiting the Snake River
Landing area following the fireworks. Given the hundreds of thousands of attendees at this event, even
the most efficient traffic exit plans will take time. Event attendees should plan for exiting to take up to
two hours. Routes in and around Idaho Falls will be restricted, and certain parking lots will allow for
faster exits to certain locations. Information about parking lot designations is available here.
Due to the greatly increased number of people in the city, remember to remain patient in slow-moving traffic. Drivers should slow down, focus on driving, avoid distractions, watch for pedestrians, and bicyclists, obey all traffic laws, special holiday parking and traffic restrictions. Community members and
visitors should not move or drive around traffic control devices for any reason. Doing so can create dangerous situations for yourself and others and will likely result in further delays. Community members
are reminded to obey directions from law enforcement and designated traffic officials.
Drivers traveling to or in the area of Snake River Landing should expect numerous road closures
beginning Wednesday, July 3rd and continuing until early morning on July 5th.
South Tourist Park and Ryder Park serve as command posts for emergency personnel. In order for emergency vehicles to respond quickly in the event of an emergency, South Tourist Park and Ryder Park will be closed to all public vehicles, boats & campers/RVs beginning July 3rd at 11:00 a.m. South Tourist Park and the adjacent River Walk/Greenbelt will remain open for foot/bicycle traffic. The parks will reopen to vehicles, boats, and camping at noon on July 5th.
For a full list of road closures due to the parade, visit our website.
Pedestrians and bicyclists leaving Snake River Landing are asked not to cross Sunnyside in any location
other than designated crossing areas indicated by event signage. Visibility is low and pedestrian safety is
a significant concern. Besides causing delays to traffic flow exiting the event, there are vehicle versus
pedestrian near misses each year due to pedestrians crossing traffic in an unsafe manner.
Idaho Falls is fortunate to have the caliber of parade, firework show, and celebrations taking place in our
community each year, made possible through the hard work and coordination of many community partners. The Idaho Falls Police Department, and our partners, are looking forward to safe and enjoyable Independence Day celebrations for our community members.
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