Fourth of July festivities will kick off in a patriotic start Wednesday as the city of Jennings hosts its annual Stars and Stripes Festival, 6 – 9 p.m. at the Louisiana Oil and Gas Park.

The family-friendly celebration will feature live music, face painting, hair braiding, corn hole games, snow cones and more. There will also be food vendors.

“The annual Stars and Stripes festival has been going on for decades as the Jennings people always look forward to it,” Assistant City Project Coordinator Kayla Gary said. “We always encourage our guests to wear red, white and blue to show their respect for our great country.”

Because of the intense heat the event has been scaled back from an all-day event to an evening event, Gary said.

“We encourage everyone to dress for summer and drink plenty of water,” she said.

The fun kicks off at 6 p.m. with a concert by The Eighties Experience, a high-energy group that plays mostly music from the 80’s.

“They are a crowd favorite,” Gary said.

The celebration tops off with a fireworks show at 8:30 p.m.

“The fireworks show never disappoints as there is always something new added,” Gary said. “The Jennings Fire Department works hard to set up an amazing fireworks display.”

The fireworks will be set up on the airpark grounds, but will be viewable from the park.

“The west end of the park is always a good spot for viewing the show,” Gary said.

Ice chests, but no glass bottles will be allowed in the park.

Admission and parking is free.