Alpena plans city fireworks for a day before Independence Day 2025 | News, sports, jobs

In this July 2021 news archive photo, fireworks explode over Fourth of July revelers at Starlite Beach in Alpena.

ALPENA – The July 4th fireworks display in Alpena will once again be launched the day before the holiday.

Last summer, Wolverine Fireworks, the Kawkawlin-based vendor that Alpena had hired for its Fourth of July fireworks show, notified the city just a few weeks before Independence Day that the vendor would have to cancel its Fourth of July date, which the city said in great difficulty to continue the show.

The city managed to set up the July 3rd fireworks display at short notice and the show went off without a hitch.

This made the decision to organize fireworks on July 3, 2025, easier.

Alpena put the fireworks contract out to bid and the city received several bids for next year’s show.

None of the bidders had July 4th available, so the Alpena Town Council decided to hire Small Town Saturday Night Fireworks of Sheridan for $25,000 to restart the fireworks display on July 3rd.

Small Town hosted the fireworks display at the end of the Alpena County Fair’s 150th anniversary celebration earlier this year.

The provider will go one better for next year’s fourth edition and offer Alpena spectators a larger and more elaborate exhibition, officials said.

Andy Marceau, captain of the Alpena Fire Department, said he saw the show at the fairgrounds in August and was impressed with Small Town’s professionalism, safety measures and presentation.

He said he was looking forward to seeing a bigger show in July.

“I was really impressed with the company, so it was a no-brainer to contact them and ask for a quote,” Marceau said.

The fireworks have been set off at Mich-e-ke-wis Park for years, but that will change in 2025. Marceau said the new fireworks contractor will launch the fireworks from five strategically placed pontoons, giving the seller more creativity with the fireworks. When the fireworks are set off from the water in front of Bay View Park, you can get a better view of the coast.

The decision to launch the fireworks from Thunder Bay also reduces the risk of injury to spectators.

Marceau said the public will stay at a safe distance in the event of an unexpected accident.

“The scope is easy for us to determine because it’s out in the bay,” he said. “God forbid if something happens, it should be isolated from the crowd.”

With rain and wind, there is always a risk that the fireworks display will be postponed or postponed. However, when the fireworks are set off from boats, the waves can affect the show if conditions are not favorable.

Marceau said the city has set a tentative date for the show of July 12 in case Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate on July 3.

When the city government announced the change to the fireworks schedule last year, it was met with mixed reactions. Some people liked the move because it allowed them to stay up later at night because they were off work on the actual holiday. Others felt that the tradition of fireworks on Independence Day should be preserved.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.