He grew up in Kingsburg watching the Fourth of July Fireworks and still does so every year with his family and friends.

This year, however, he and other residents may not have that chance.

"It's a shame because it's such a tradition," said Dale Engstrom. "I remember going as a kid, and then taking my own kids."

The fireworks celebration has always been held at the Kingsburg High School bowl, but the construction that's been underway since last fall has put that venue temporarily out of commission.

The Kingsburg Chamber of Commerce has been unable to find another location that will be safe for shooting off the fireworks while making accommodations for the parking and traffic problems that will accompany the large crowd of spectators.

"I'm hoping there will be people out there who will say, 'This is un-American,' and someone will come forward with a new location," said Jess Chamber, the director of the chamber of commerce.

The July 4th celebration is as popular an event for locals as the Swedish Festival and Santa Lucia Day festivities. Families gather in the high school bowl to enjoy barbecued hamburgers, tri-tip sandwiches, ice cream and shaved ice. Blankets and folding chairs cover the grassy football field as friends and neighbors catch up while enjoying a patriotic concert by the City Band. When darkness sets in, the skies over Kingsburg come alive with an impressive fireworks display.

It has traditionally been a very patriotic, safe and family-friendly event -- one that will be missed by many who can't remember ever missing a year.

The possibility of holding the fireworks at one of Kingsburg's several elementary schools was explored, and Chambers said that while Superintendent Mark Ford was open to the suggestion, the logistics seemed insurmountable. Ronald Regan Elementary and Rafer Johnson Junior High are located in residential neighborhoods, and while Washington and Lincoln schools may be more ideally located, they don't have adequate parking -- a problem with all the schools but the high school.

The idea of shooting off the fireworks from the KHS baseball field while the audience sat in the large grassy parking area was explored with the high school staff, but there is a chance that those areas could be used for storing construction equipment or being used as a staging area for the bowl project.

Because of the fire hazard that can be created by the fireworks being shot off, it's not something that can be done just anywhere, officials say.

"You've got to have someplace where you can have a lot of clear space," Chambers said.

In years past, the cost of the fireworks display has threatened the event, but Chambers said that financially, there's no reason why the show couldn't happen if an appropriate location was found in time.

"We have such a phenomenal turnout at the gate that it practically pays for it," he said.

Donations from private citizens and local service clubs also help with the $14,000 fireworks tab.

Linda Clark, Kingsburg High School superintendent, said that she would love to see the fireworks return to the high school bowl next year, but the new all-weather track could pose a problem because the falling embers could damage it. At this point, she said that it's too soon to know whether or not it's going to be an issue, but she hopes that it won't be.

"If there's any way for us to do it safely, we definitely want to be a part of it," Clark said.

Dale Engstrom, who directs the City Band, said that while the July 4th concert won't be held in conjunction with the fireworks, the band will try to help make up for the loss by holding a concert in the park on the evening of July 3rd.

"In lieu of the fireworks, we'll have a concert in the park and make it Americana," Engstrom said.

Although this Fourth of July won't be the same in Kingsburg, Chambers is optimistic that the fireworks hiatus is only temporary.

"Our obvious hope and desire is that next year we can bring it back," he said.