June 24, 2025
This year’s unmistakable event includes an artisan fair, local music, kid’s activities, food trucks and a drone show!
The City of Lawrence is happy to host Summerfest 2025, our premier community Independence Day celebration, on Wednesday, July 3 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. This free, family-friendly event is packed with local flavor, live music, and festive fun. The Artisan Fair kicks off at 4 p.m. in Building 21, along with live music. Food trucks will open at 5 p.m. with hourly performances on the main stage starting at 6 p.m. The Lawrence City Band will bring the stars and stripes to life with classic American tunes in the arena from 9 to 9:45 p.m., followed by a dazzling drone show to light up the night sky at 9:45 p.m. Come celebrate our country’s independence and the spirit of Lawrence with us!
The event is free and open to the public.
Summerfest 2025 will take place at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St. The event is sponsored by the City of Lawrence. The music for this event is coordinated by Lawrence Music Alliance with appreciation to the Dole Insititute of Politics for providing activities for kids.
The Open Pavilion main stage lineup is below:
- Master of Ceremonies – The Illustrious Ric Averill
- 6 p.m. Rap Veterans
- 7 p.m. Jessica Paige & Lucas Parker
- 8 p.m. The Band that Saved the World
The Building 21 Artisan Fair music includes:
- 4 p.m. Beth & Brandon
- 5 p.m. Sky Smeed
- 6 p.m. Arlonious Rodeo King
- 7 p.m. Susan Hancock + Ven Bergdall
The event will take place rain or shine! However, in the case of severe weather, the City of Lawrence will share updates about the event and the drone show through our Parks, Recreation and Culture social media platforms and rainoutline.com as well as the City website: lawrenceks.org/lprd/summerfest/.
The map below shows where the music will be held (in the derby arena on the fairgrounds), as well as where the drone show will be staged on the east side of the fairgrounds.
Media Contact: City Communications, citycommunications@lawrenceks.gov
About the City of Lawrence
The City of Lawrence supports an unmistakably vibrant community with innovative, equitable, transparent and responsible local government. Together, we are creating a community where everyone can enjoy life and feel at home.