With Independence Day just over the horizon, many Perry County residents are wondering when the big fireworks show will happen.
This year, the fireworks will take place on July 3, but there will be a few changes, mainly when it comes to the organizers. In previous years, the Perryville Rotary Club had organized the show. This year, they decided to step away.
“The Rotary Club did it for many years,” said Perryville Perks and Recreation Director Jim Cadwell. “They decided they wanted to pass the torch and the city picked it up.”
This year’s show — scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. at City Park — is being organized by Cadwell’s department and jointly sponsored by Perry County and the Perry County Heritage Tourism Department. Other sponsors include KSGM 980 AM-105.3 FM and 93.1 FM.
The show itself isn’t expected to differ very much from previous years.
“Basically, we’re doing the same thing they did last year,” Cadwell said. “We’ll have a DJ. They’ll start playing music around 7. The American Legion will do the honor guard, they’ll play the national anthem, and then while the fireworks are going off, they’ll play patriotic music.”
Refreshments will also be available, including Luna’s Shaved Ice and kettle corn.
Cadwell said the show was scheduled on July 3 to accommodate those who might have to work on July 5.
“Basically, we’re following the same format that the Rotary Club did,” Cadwell said, because some people have to work on the 5th, so they did it on the 3rd. If it was a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, we’d do it on the 4th, but typically, people have to work the next day and might not have daycare and whatnot so we’re following the same format.”
Cadwell did urge those coming to the park to keep an eye out for restricted areas.
“We will have caution tape up around the ‘fall zone’,” Cadwell said. “We ask that people not cross the caution tape.”
Cadwell said the fall zone is a 375-foot space between fields 1 and 8.
“Just in case there’s a misfire, we can’t have people walking through there,” Cadwell said. “Other parts of the trail will be open, but that section that’s blocked off, you’re not supposed to be in there. During the loading a shooting phases, no one’s allowed to cross caution tape.”
The city is spending approximately $15,000 on the show, which Cadwell said was about the average for recent years.
“it’s going to be very similar,” Cadwell said. “If you’ve ever been to the fireworks show, it’s going to be pretty much the same.”
In case of rain, the show will be held on Saturday, July 6. The weather forecast as of June 24 called for partly cloudy conditions on July 3, with a 33 percent chance of showers late in the evening.
