'A celebration of our heritage': Kiwanis member launches effort to move fireworks downtown

As part of 2021's bicentennial celebration, the Bucyrus Kiwanis Club moved its Fourth of July fireworks display downtown. Now, the club member in charge of planning the annual event wants to make that move permanent.

Kiwanian Doug Foght said that when the decision to have 2021's fireworks downtown was first announced, he received some negative feedback about the change.

"Well, then we actually had the show that night on July 3, 2021, and everybody was absolutely ecstatic," he said. "It was really cool to see."

All across the heart of the city, people gathered to have fun and watch the fireworks, which were set off from Harmon Park, he said. People who had gathered in Schines Art Park for a musical performance were able to see the display right after the music ended.

"Everybody throughout the community apparently were having activities at their homes because they were able to sit at home and watch the fireworks from their house ... So the feedback turned to all positive and everybody was just thrilled; loved it," Foght said.

When the fireworks returned to the fairgrounds last year, people were disappointed: Not only did they enjoy having the show downtown, they appreciated not having to wait in traffic after the display, he said.

"Because when you're at the fairgrounds, there's three exits out of the fairgrounds, but they exit out on two streets, so you bottleneck traffic up," Foght said, estimating it usually takes about 45 minutes to get out of the traffic jam.

Foght: Make the most of all downtown has to offer

So starting with the 2024 show, Foght is hoping to make having the fireworks downtown part of a local tradition.

He'd like to coordinate with other local civic groups, city leaders or maybe the Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce to arrange some sort of musical performance at the Shines Art Park that would lead up to the fireworks show. Local businesses could stay open; food trucks could set up downtown. People could take advantage of the city's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, which enables liquor permit holders to sell beverages for outdoor consumption within a set boundary.

"Let the people ... enjoy the community up until the fireworks show and then have the fireworks and then possibly afterwards, maybe have a movie in the art park so that maybe people can wind down and finish out the evening," Foght suggested. "We have so many wonderful things in our community right now that are great for quality of life and getting out and doing things. So why not have something that highlights them and gives us a reason to get out and enjoy them? You know, we're already gonna be outside for the fireworks anyways, so why not have some other stuff to do?"

Foght said he hates the idea that it's become normal to head out to the fireworks at dusk, watch the display and then go straight home.

"Yes, the fireworks are great and they're wonderful, but I want to see more of a festivity. You know, the idea is this is a celebration of our heritage, our independence," he said. "I want to be able to highlight that and do anything we can to make that a festive day to honor everything that we have had for the last 200 years."

There's only one problem: It costs significantly more to have the fireworks downtown.

Bigger fireworks shells cost more. The shows at the fairgrounds use a lot of shells that are 1 to 3 inches in diameter, Foght explained. For an adequate downtown show, shells have to be at least 4 inches — the fireworks have to go higher to be seen clearly, plus Harmon Park is at a slightly lower elevation than the downtown area. Mixing in some even larger shells would be ideal.

The Kiwanis Club usually spends about $11,000 for the annual show at the fairgrounds; to have a similar show downtown will cost about $5,000 more. Being able to increase the budget between $7,000 and $10,000 "would be phenomenal," he said. "But I'm not shooting for that."

Fundraising for 2024 show has begun

With that goal in mind, Foght has decided to start the fundraising effort for the 2024 show now. He's started a campaign similar to what the Muscular Dystrophy Association does with its shamrocks, he said.

Kiwanis fireworks sponsor badges are available at a few stores throughout the community. For a donation of $5 or more, people can purchase a badge that will be displayed at the store. He had enough printed so that if they all sell, the club will have enough to cover the increased cost of having the show downtown, he said.

The sponsor badges are available at Shoe Sensation, 223 S. Stetzer Road; Bucyrus Pack and Ship, 556 S. Sandusky Ave., and Watts House of Insurance, 580 S. Sandusky Ave. Donations also can be given to any member of the Bucyrus Kiwanis Club. Other businesses interested in offering the badges to customers can contact Foght. Donations also are being accepted online.

"The more, the merrier. If we sell more than I need to, that's even better," Foght said. "That's just a better show, because every bit of the money that is given to us for fireworks goes directly back into our fireworks account. It is kept separate from everything else in Kiwanis."

2023 fireworks show will be at fairgrounds July 3

This year's show will be at the Crawford County Fairgrounds at dusk on July 3, Foght said.

Mark's Homemade Ice Cream and Sweet Thangs Kettle Corn will be there, and he's working to line up additional food vendors. Pyrotecnico, the same company that does fireworks for the Cleveland Guardians, will present the show.

Foght said there are two reasons the Bucyrus fireworks show is always on July 3. He believes the timing is more family-friendly, since people won't have to get up and go to work the next morning. It's also cheaper — fireworks companies charge more for shows on the actual holiday.

"I know my turnout is better because I do it on the 3rd than if I did it on the 4th," he said.

He said he appreciates local businesses' support for the annual show "from the bottom of my heart."

"We know that this community does so much for us already," he said. "It's honestly because of our local businesses that we have the type of show that we have every year and continue to have that show. I take care of facilitating everything, but it's because of the money that they give that we continue to have the shows that we do.

"Every business in this community, I always tell everybody, please make sure you go out and patronize them because it's because of them that we have the things that we do — fireworks shows, lots of other things.

"I just want to do something that's a little more community. Seems like we've had so many things with COVID and everything that's kind of kept us from being together, and unfortunately some of the other turmoil. Let's do some things that bring us together."

ggoble@gannett.com

419-559-7263

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Kiwanian launches effort to move July 4 fireworks downtown in 2024