City Donates To 2025 Fireworks Display

By Gordon HopkinsThe City of Fairbury will once again be donating $7,500 toward the 2025 Fourth of July fireworks display.Earlier this year, the city contributed that amount for the 2024 fireworks show. The annual fireworks display had been sponsored by VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post 3113 since 1945. However, due to changes in permit and certification requirements, the VFW was not longer able to continue. The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) is responsible for regulating explosives, including display fireworks.So, the Fairbury Fireworks Committee was formed.The funds will come from the Keno account currently has a balance of $151,624.30. The 2024-2025 has earmarked $60,000 to cover pool painting expenses, wayfinding signs and a new roof for the Girl Scout cabin. The fund generates approximately $30,000 annually and has an estimated annual tax expense of $7,300. Payment was approved by the city council at a meeting on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Mayor-elect Kelly Davis, who heads the committee, indicated he is looking to hire Premier Pyrotechnics, the same company that put on this year’s display. Davis said there is an advantage to paying early, “If we get it paid in December, we get 15 percent more product for the same amount of money, and if I sign a three-year contract with them, we’ll get an additional five percent.” The advantage to hiring a third party is that they would be responsible for all necessary permits, licenses and insurance. The disadvantage is that July 4 is a busy time for such contractors and, as such, the display would have to be held on a different day. The 2025 show will be held Saturday, July 5.That is one of the reasons Davis said he would like to sign the extended contract, “We’ll probably sign the contract for three years, just so we can hopefully get moved up on the ladder with them to where we can get back on to doing the Fourth of July show.”The Fairbury Fireworks Committee is also accepting donations for future fireworks shows.“Hopefully, we’ll be getting some good donations in and we don’t have to keep doing this every year. We can build up the pot,” said Davis. “I think we got about $1,500 in there right now.”

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