​Plans for July 3 Fireworks Continue in The Islands

Fireworks and Waxing Crescent Moon. Photo by Rob Swanson, Islander Photojournalist

By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer

GRAND ISLE – Plans continue to build for a July 3 fireworks display coordinated by the Island Center for Arts and Recreation (ICAR).

The towns of North Hero and South Hero have agreed to join in with Grand Isle, which had earlier approved the nighttime festivities, according to ICAR spokesman Bill Champagne.

The fireworks will be ignited at dusk from a high hill off Lover’s Lane in Grand Isle, he said.

Parking will be available at several sites, including the Grand Isle Elementary School, he said.  He said as more parking sites are secured they will be announced in The Islander next week.

Private funds were secured early on for the fireworks, but since the news story in The Islander last week, more people have made donations to make the night bigger, Champagne said.

“The more we get, the more we put on,” he said.

Local businesses, residents and clubs are welcome to donate to ICAR, which is a non-profit, to buy fireworks.  Checks may be mailed to ICAR, P.O. Box 121, Grand Isle, VT  05458. 
Northstar Fireworks of East Montpelier, a professional company, will be detonating the pyrotechnics, Champagne said.

A joint decision was made to go forward with the celebration after consulting with multiple groups.  Many were concerned about the need to have a positive event in the Champlain Islands in light of so many happenings getting cancelled or postponed due to the deadly COVID-19 virus.

Appropriate safety measures will be undertaken in light of the pandemic, Grand Isle Selectboard member Jeff Parizo said.

Gov. Phil Scott noted recently that while many towns were doing away with fireworks and parades for the July 4th holiday, he said some communities were still moving forward with state guidelines in mind.

​The town of Colchester is the latest to announce on its website that it was cancelling its 50th annual celebration, which included a Saturday full of activities, a parade, a 5K run and fireworks. 

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