ESTERO, BONITA SPRINGS, & EAST NAPLES, Fla. - The Fourth of July is Saturday, but many people are kicking off the holiday tonight. For some communities, this Fourth of July will go on without fireworks.

Thousands of people gathered in Estero Friday night to celebrate America's independence. Most are here for one thing: fireworks.

But tight budgets will hush the "oohs" and "ahhs" of some celebrations this year. Lehigh Acres will have no 4th of July fireworks.

In Bonita Springs, workers are setting up for a much cheaper laser show. City officials say it will cost $46,000 less than a fireworks display.

"Its just as good as fireworks. We should have just as enjoyable time as we would with fireworks," Bonita resident Al Engel says.

But not all Bonita residents are so excited. Some say they'll leave town to catch fireworks somewhere else. Others say the 4th isn't the same without them.

"I think explosions are a little cooler than lasers," Randall Bush says.

The Naples Jaycees will hold their 11th annual Fourth of July celebration at Sugden Regional Park, but they're going in $2,500 in the whole. Collier County puts $25,000 toward the fireworks, and in the past, the Jaycees brought in bands, games, and other activities. This year, it will be just food and fireworks due to a lack of sponsors.

"Businesses we counted on last year aren't even in existence anymore," Lisa Douglass says.

Rather than scaling back, the Jaycees hope to make up their losses in soda sales, because they say fireworks are what the community needs.

"In these economic times, celebrating the 4th of July with fireworks seems the only thing you can do to really say, things are normal. Economically, maybe they're not normal, but for 25 minutes on the 4th of July, we're going to celebrate together and hope everything will be normal, sometime soon," Douglass says.

While the shows will go on, Fort Myers almost canceled its fireworks show this year. It was saved when Sandbill Realty stepped up to sponsor the $30,000 show.

On Marco Island, residents raised thousands of dollars to help fund theirs, as well.