In the weeks leading up to the holiday, Gary Souza and around 60 fellow pyrotechnicans are focused entirely on finalizing the 49th annual Macy’s show. But they are not strolling along the Brooklyn Bridge where it will take place, nor are they balancing aboard one of the four barges in the East River that will supply additional launch points.

Eight Rhode Island communities have planned their firework shows for July 3 this year. Here's how thunderstorms are impacting them.

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Fourth of July fireworks for free. One option we love is DIRECTV, which comes with five days free and starts at $59.99/month, with plenty of subscription options that include NBC.