Paramus fireworks: Here's why borough will finally celebrate July Fourth — on Aug. 27
Paramus is closing out the end of summer with a bang, literally.
After being rained out twice earlier, the borough's annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration will finally be held this Sunday, almost eight weeks after the official Independence Day.
What's more independent than that?
“Third time is the charm,” said Councilman Ace Antonio, the chairman of the committee organizing the event. “It’s been a crazy summer.”
The free show is scheduled to kick off at 4:30 p.m. at the Cliff Gennarelli Sports Complex on Garden State Plaza Parkway and will feature live music hosted by DJ Raphael Valentino as well as musical guest VIIQ. The fireworks will start around 8:30 p.m. or dusk.
Food trucks will be open for business at the front gate of the complex, including Empanada Mania, the Ice Cream Lady and Ora Freestyle Italian. The Paramus Fire Department will also be in attendance to serve hot dogs and hamburgers.
Although the borough was able to hold its Fourth of July parade on the actual holiday, the originally planned fireworks display on July 2 and its July 9 rain date were both rained out. It was a stressful to delay the event twice, but it was ultimately the best decision during a season of unpredictable weather that included poor air quality from Canadian wildfires, said Antonio.
“That week [of the holiday] I was not resting, I was looking at the forecast,” said Antonio.
The fireworks traditionally draw about 15,000 people, 10,000 in the complex itself and another 5,000 watching from nearby, Antonio said. He said the committee worked with local school districts to ensure the show was held when students would be able to join.
The forecast looks good for this Sunday evening, he noted, with predictions of cloudy but dry skies and a low of 63 degrees.
“Once everything is shooting off and I see the smiles on everyone’s faces, I’ll be happy,” said Antonio.
Those who cannot attend in person can watch a live stream of the display at paramus4thofjuly.com. The event is sponsored by Westfield Garden State Plaza, the Valley Hospital, Bergen Town Center, CareOne, Columbia Bank and Wells, Jaworski & Liebman LLP.
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Alcohol, glass containers, littering, drones, sparklers and smoking are all prohibited at the complex. Guests can bring a clear plastic, vinyl or PVC tote bag to the show, according to the event website. All guests and bags will be screened prior to entry.
Stephanie Noda is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: noda@northjersey.com
Twitter: @snoda11
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paramus NJ closes out summer with delayed Fourth of July fireworks
