By George McIntire

Independence Day is upon us, and that means hella fireworks shows. Given the landscape of the Bay Area, it’s the perfect place to witness colorful explosions in all their glory — barring that Karl the Fog doesn’t get the munchies and consume half the night sky. Below we’ve put together seven places where you can get your firetwerk on.

Island Party

Both Angel and Treasure Islands will be holding special fireworks viewing parties. Since a good number of the fireworks will be occurring on or by the water, witnessing them from an island gives you a totally unobstructed view. However, the Angel Island festivities require a $120 ferry ticket for adults and a $85 ticked for children. Pricey, we know, but totally worth it if you want the best viewing experience.

The Tourist Option

Pier 39 probably isn’t your go-to spot for partying, but this year there will be a bunch of live music before the fireworks from the ’80s cover band Tainted Love. If that isn’t enough to convince you, then you should know that you’ll practically be right under the exploding confetti.

Head for the Hills!

We have 47 hills in this city, which means 47 viewpoints. However, let’s narrow that down a bit. Our recommended hills are Corona Heights Hill, Bernal Heights Hill, Twin Peaks and Mt. Davidson.

For You East Bayers

The Berkeley Marina will be hosting a fireworks show. Keep in mind that it will get very crowded, so get there early. There are also lots of hillside views up in Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond that offer perfect vistas of the bay.