The Fourth of July may be four months away, but planning and fundraising for the City of Great Bend’s annual fireworks display is already underway to make sure it goes off with a bang. 

First, like it has for the past several years, the celebration is planned for July 3, which falls on a Saturday this year, said Community Coordinator Christina Hayes. “We think this date works really well.”

This makes it easier to find volunteers, and receive help from city staff since the third isn’t a holiday. It also lessens the pressure on local fire and police departments on the fourth, allowing them to focus on the big display on the third, and keep them open for other emergency calls on July 4.

And, “it’s just nice to be able to attend the night before and then families can shoot off their own at home the next day,” she said. 

As always, the show will be performed at the Great Bend Expo Complex due to the ease of parking and overall space for the display.

Fireworks don’t come cheap

But, to make this happen takes money.

“It is a struggle to raise funds for this,” Hayes said. “I started in January and I still need $5,000 to make our $15,000 display cost.”

Every year, the city kicked in $5,000 for fireworks, Hayes said, adding the $5,000 shortfall takes the city’s contribution into account. 

She uses marketing dollars to help promote the show. However, “we just couldn’t do it without the wonderful businesses that donate.”

She’d also like to find a way to make it easier for the general public to donate as well. “I guess if a group of friends wanted to get together and give $100, I would give them a shoutout during the live show on the radio. I really do encourage groups of people to get together and donate because it helps so very much.”