Dennis Steele isn't a fan of the Jonas Brothers. He doesn't know who Glenn Beck is, and he likes SHeDaisy all right.

His reasoning for wanting to go to the Stadium of Fire is simple.

"They got good fireworks, usually, up there," said the Billings, Mont., native, who grew up in Provo.

Whatever the draw, Freedom Festival organizers want people to know that tickets are still available for Saturday's shebang at BYU's LaVell Edwards Stadium. Tickets should be available up until the show starts Saturday night, said executive director Paul Warner.

"There's still some good seats available," Warner said, to the tune of several thousand tickets, although sales did pick up after a promotion in June. "It really is going to be as good a one as we've ever had."

Although the festival has had similar economic struggles as other organizations, like fewer corporate donors and slower ticket sales, the show will go on, Warner said, including the traditional fireworks festival and lots of star power from the performers, plus something new. They'll be saying goodbye to the massive American flag that's flown over the Stadium of Fire for many years.

"It has seen its better days, so we're going to fly it for the last time, and actually as part of the closing ceremonies, we're going to take it down and retire it," he said.

Freedom Days, the fair on downtown Provo, kicks off at 5 p.m. today, and on Wednesday afternoon the eastbound lanes of Center Street were closed down between 200 West and University Avenue as crews set up tents and prepared for the fair, which takes place on the Utah County Government complex grounds and the Provo Tabernacle park.

The balloon fest is responsible for the strange sounds from the sky; that event started at 6:30 this morning and will continue for the next two days. Jenny Butler, a mother of three young children, said they would be out at least one morning to check out the balloons. They'll skip the parade and the Stadium of Fire.

"I wish we had tickets to the Stadium of Fire, but we don't, so we'll probably just go to a park and watch the fireworks," she said, adding she used to go to the shows but hasn't in a few years. "Now that I have kids, I don't."

Freedom Days downtown are on the Butler agenda, and last week the family went to the carillon bells concert. Butler said she thought the Freedom Festival was a good family and community event that was geared toward many different types of people.

"I feel like just the fact that I'm going to a few things shows the variety," she said.

Kathy Barbour, whose 7-year-old granddaughter loves the Jonas Brothers, said they always watch the parade and go to Freedom Days. While she's not planning on attending the Stadium of Fire this year, she likes what's being done with it.

"I think it's cool," she said. "They're a cute little band, keep all the teeny-boppers happy."

Other events include the Freedom Run on Saturday morning; Warner said they are anticipating about 4,000 runners, which is about 700 more than they have ever had. He said people like to run the parade route and then stop and enjoy the parade.

"We're not sure why; more people must be exercising," Warner said.

For more information, go to www.freedomfestival.org.

• Heidi Toth can be reached at (801) 344-2556 or htoth@heraldextra.com.

List of Freedom Festival events:

• Balloon Fest

When: July 2, 3 & 4, 6:30 a.m.

Where: Bulldog Field, 1100 N. Freedom Blvd., Provo

• Freedom Awards Gala (tickets required)

When: July 2, 6:30 p.m.

Where: BYU Wilkinson Center Ballroom

• Freedom Days

When: July 2, 3 & 4, time varies daily

Where: Center Street off University Avenue, Provo

• Colonial Days

When: July 2, 3 & 4, 10 a.m. daily

Where: Crandall Historical Printing Museum, 275 E. Center, Provo

• Milestones of Freedom at Ellis Island

When: July 2-4, time varies daily

Where: SCERA Park Pavilion, 600 S. State St., Orem

• Freedom 3v3 Soccer Tournament

When: July 3-4, 2009, time varies

Where: BYU Harmon Conference Center Soccer Fields

• Children's Art Show

When: July 3, 6-9 p.m. Reception

Where: Utah County Health & Justice Building, 151 S. University Ave., Provo

• Utah Symphony at Sundance

When: July 3, 8 p.m.

Where: Sundance Resort

• Freedom Run

When: July 4, 7 a.m.

Where: Kiwanis Park (820 N. 1100 East), Provo

• Grand Parade

When: July 4, 9 a.m.

Where: University Avenue, Provo

• Stadium of Fire (tickets required)

When: July 4, 8 p.m.

Where: BYU LaVell Edwards Stadium

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