BATON ROUGE - Police presence will be ramped up in Downtown Baton Rouge starting early this afternoon as a full slate of Fourth of July festivities gets underway in the Capital City.

The action downtown will kick off at 4 p.m. with events scheduled all the way up until WBRZ's Fireworks on the Mississippi lights up the skies at 9 p.m. Choice viewing spots for the fireworks display will be available in the Downtown area and across the river in Port Allen.

BRPD is encouraging all attendees who plan to show up to the levee for the show to arrive early. Extra patrols will be active throughout the evening hours to ensure a safe and fun experience for everyone.

The traditional hot dog eating contest, vendor booths and live music are all part of a full range of planned activities. A full schedule of events sponsored by the U.S.S. Kidd can be viewed by clicking here.