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Fireworks displays weather economy to draw oohs, aahs

Tribune file photo by JIM REED (2008)

The Channelside fireworks are privately funded, with the city providing police support.

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 17, 2009

TAMPA - TAMPA Fear not, fellow patriots. The salvos of the marauding economy for the most part will not sink the Fourth of July fireworks shows in the Tampa Bay area, and displays will steam ahead, full blast.

That's not to say there isn't some concern.

In some venues, like in Temple Terrace, the cost of the shows is being supplemented by donations from residents who don't want to see displays into duds.

Fireworks displays, sometimes costing more than $25,000 or more, typically are staged free for viewers with the tab picked up by cities, counties or chambers of commerce intent in drawing huge crowds to business districts.

Temple Terrace officials say that in previous years, the city footed the fireworks bill. But with budget cuts this year, donations are being sought by the chamber of commerce. So far, the chamber has collected about $13,000, some of which includes $5 and $10 donations from individuals and even children.

In Tampa, the Fourth of July Celebration at Channelside begins at 2 p.m. July 4 with live entertainment starting at 6 p.m. A fireworks display is scheduled for 9 p.m.

Channelside Bay Plaza general manager Kathy Walsh said the fireworks display is privately funded through her company and downtown corporations. The city contribution: providing a police and emergency medical presence, along with traffic control.

The economy won't have an impact on the show, she said.

"It's going to be the same," she said. "It will be 20-minutes long and we expect the same attendance we always have, between 15,000 and 20,000 people."

And that's just at Channelside. Thousands more are expected to converge on Bayshore Boulevard, Harbour Island and Davis Islands to see the show.

"We are happy to be able to do this," she said. "This, for a lot of families, is the highlight of the summer."

The annual Clearwater Celebrates America fireworks show will be at Coachman Park on Drew Street on July 4. Gates open at 4, and music begins at 7:30 p.m. The pyrotechnics display is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Brian Craig, spokesman with the city's parks and recreation department, said the downturned economy did force event planners to nip and tuck this year, but none of that will have an impact on the fireworks show.

There are sponsorships for the event, which now is limited to just the Fourth of July. In years past, music and live entertainment took up the holiday and a day or two before. But no longer, he said.

"We are focusing on core part of the event this year," he said. "We didn't want to limit the quality of Fourth of July show."

In Dunedin, the fireworks show starts at 9:30 p.m. July 3 at Dunedin Stadium on Douglas Avenue. The show will be preceded by music and entertainment.

Admission is free, said David White with the Dunedin Parks and Recreation Department. By doing the show on July 3 rather than July 4, "we see a considerable savings," in the cost of staging a pyrotechnics display.

"We are not asking for donations," he said. "We do have some sponsorships and we have a good relationship with company out of South Carolina, which has been coming here for years to stage the show."

The cost of staging the display hasn't risen at all, he said. The company is staging other shows July 4, and doing the show in Dunedin the day before at a minimal cost benefits everyone, he said.

In St. Petersburg, the July Fourth Extravaganza features live entertainment at the Pier and other activities at North Straub Park. Beginning at 2 p.m. July 4, the show will end with a 21-minute fireworks display starting at 9 p.m.

Polly Brannon, with the city's parks and recreation department, said the city is partners with Clear Channel radio, and event-goers this year won't notice anything different than in years past.

"Essentially," she said, "Clear Channel pays for the fireworks and the city pays for staffing and the logistics for it."

With the holiday falling on a Saturday this year, 100,000 people are expected to attend the free event, she said.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760.

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