Photo by Clinton Lewis

The hills of Southcentral Kentucky will be alive with the lights and sounds of fireworks beginning this weekend through Tuesday in celebration of July 4.In Bowling Green, the fun is moving to a new location. The Kiwanis Clubs Thunderfest 2000 will be at 5 p.m. Monday at the National Corvette Museum Amphitheater. The reason for moving the annual fireworks show from Western Kentucky University was for practical reasons, said Thunderfest 2000 Chairman Mike Riggs. Western is going through major construction, he said. It was physically impossible to have it there. Ample parking and location make the Corvette Museum a good place to have the festival, Riggs said. Well be able to put on the biggest show weve ever had, he said. Were away from campus and houses, so we can have bigger, louder and higher fireworks. The club hasnt decided if the museum will be the festivals permanent home. It depends on two things we hope it will be as successful and we have to see if the university grows, he said. We have no (idea) on what we will have next year. Thunderfest 2000 will have something for everyone, including performances by Ernie Small Blues Band, The Fender Benders and Kitti Hawk; a skydiving team; food; clowns; and a 27-foot climbing wall. When I was growing up in Bowling Green, the thing was to go to the stadium and watch the fireworks and go home, Riggs said. If youre going to watch fireworks, make it an evening. Cost is $4 for adults, $1 for children and $15 for large carloads. Other events in the region include the following:Fireworks in the Park will be at 5 p.m. Monday at Jim Roberts Community Park in Franklin. The event will include water slides, games, pony rides, petting zoo and more. Fireworks will begin at dusk. Cost is $2 a car load. A July 4 celebration will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Bowling Park in Edmonton. Events will include pageants, horse shoes, rodeo, music and fireworks, which will be at 9 p.m. Admission is $1 for ages 7 and up. A fireworks show will be at 9 p.m. Saturday at Shady Cliff Restaurant Lodge and Marina at Lake Malone in Lewisburg. Admission is free. A fireworks show will be at 9 p.m. Tuesday at Barren River Lake State Resort Park. A beach party will be from noon to 5 p.m. on the beach. Chuck Lawson Trio will be in concert from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the tennis court. Celebrations without fireworks include the following:July Jam will be at 5:30 p.m. Saturday on Franklins downtown square. The event will include performances by Franklin-Simpson Community Arts Council, The Boys from Kentucky, Familiar Faces and Robert Phillips and the Jazz Crew featuring former Ray Charles backup singer Mary Ann Fisher. There also will be games for children, including the Franklin Firecracker 100 Kiddie Parade. The Continental Harmony project will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at The Tabernacle in Scottsville. A shuttle bus will be available to take attendants from Scottsville Baptist Church on Main Street to The Tabernacle. Those attending should be at the church at noon. Food and archives of pictures featuring scenes from past gospel events will be available. Admission is free.