Dallas Morning News: Dallas revives fireworks show – for July 5

Original article on DallasNews.com

Dallas will have a Fourth of July fireworks celebration this year at Fair Park after all, city officials announced Wednesday.

Last year’s fireworks at Fair Park had a tab of $40,000 for the display; security and other costs raised the bill. But there is a catch: It’ll be on July 5.

“You can bring a picnic or there’ll be food that’ll be sold out there, but one way or the other it’s going to be a party and a great time,” said Mayor Tom Leppert during an impromptu news conference in City Council chambers.

The original fireworks display, which the city was hoping to make an annual tradition, was canceled last week. Friends of Fair Park, which sponsored the event, said they were not able to line up enough corporate sponsors.

But Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, dismayed that city officials did not come up with the money, said earlier this week that he was going to make it happen, period.

“I’m not going to sit here and feel comfortable about folks going to watch the Plano fireworks, the DeSoto fireworks, the Texas Rangers fireworks, the Lone Star Park fireworks, the Garland fireworks, and leave our city,” Caraway said Wednesday before the announcement. “We are the lead city.”

Later, Caraway said that having the celebration on July 5 will work well.

“That’s the holiday,” he said. “That’s the physical day that everybody’s off.”

Friends of Fair Park president Craig Holcomb agreed.

“It is different,” Holcomb said. “But because July Fourth is on a Sunday, a lot of people will be off on Monday, plus people who have had a good time seeing fireworks one night may very easily want to come see them a second night.”

It was too late to rebook the fireworks company on the Fourth after canceling last week, Holcomb said. “But on absolutely no notice, they’re more than willing to come do it on July 5.”

A last-minute donation from GMR Recyclers, a scrap-metal recycling company owned by brothers Kenny and Neil Goldberg, saved the show after Caraway and council member Ron Natinsky reached out to them, city officials said.

“They’re putting sizable investments in,” Leppert said.

Last year’s Fair Park celebration included a $40,000 fireworks show choreographed to music. There were also expenses for security, staging, the sound system, fencing and other items.

Friends of Fair Park raised about $100,000 for the celebration last year, while the city helped with the remaining expenses.

Dr Pepper, which had already agreed to sponsor the event this year, pledged more money Wednesday, officials said.

“It speaks so much for our community that when an event like this was in danger, Kenny, Dr Pepper, people like that stood up and said, ‘This is important – we’re going to support the community,’ ” Leppert said. “Now we need to make sure that all of us come out and support the event.”

The Goldberg brothers grew up in Dallas and have operated their business in the city for more than 30 years, they said.

“The fireworks are something that should not be missed to celebrate the birthday of our country,” Neil Goldberg said.