— Photos by Niall McShane
Leave a Reply
Real first and last names — as well as city of residence — are required for all commenters.
This is so we can verify your identity before approving your comment.
By commenting here you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct. Please read our code at the bottom of this page before commenting.
My Edmonds News
Sign Up for Our Daily Edmonds Newsletter
Love the fireworks at Lake Ballinger! It’s a safe location (over water) with plenty of room for folks to gather and watch. While I miss the fireworks at Edmonds Civic Field, there just isn’t a safe location with sufficient room anymore. Appreciate the baton being passed to Lake Ballinger.
Oops, Lake Ballinger has hosted the 3rd if July for a number of years, not just this one. Thanks to Sean this has been a wonderful and successful treat.
Edmonds 4th of July fireworks were legendary. Yes, it was crowded and it took a while to untangle the traffic afterwards. We just took that into consideration and dealt with it. What’s next-no more Halloween celebrations because it’s too crowded? I love the new civic field, but if they can hold the Taste of Edmonds there why can’t they hold the fireworks there as well? We have an entire Sound to hold these fireworks over if it’s a matter of safety.
Watched the Kingston fireworks and private fireworks being launched on the peninsula. Watched these from the hill in Edmonds above the bowl. The bowl was nearly 100% silent. It was depressing. Felt like I was in one country with no holiday looking across at another country celebrating its national birthday.
My understanding is that it is the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce that has funded the fireworks in the past, not the City. Chamber folks: it might be helpful for people to understand the estimated costs of having the fireworks versus other programs in which the Chamber invests. (If I am wrong, and it is Rotary or the City that paid for fireworks in the past, it still might be helpful to understand the costs associated with a community fireworks display).
I agree with the poster above regarding the fireworks display at Lake Ballinger. It was exceptional, family-friendly, great music and food, and enjoyed by people of all ages. We have attended the last two years and it just keeps getting better.
I’m fairly certain there was an article last year where Ryan at the chamber detailed what happened. My one repeated with is for people to understand it’s the Chamber, not the city, that hosts the fireworks and such.
I’ll also note that some of the same folks who want the fireworks back are also some of the same that balk at fees for Taste Edmonds, which helps fund the other free events, like the 4th of July and Halloween.
My Edmonds News article from April 2023:
“ The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce is not planning to produce a fireworks show this year. According to the chamber, locating the event has been a challenge and the increasing cost of pyrotechnics and production and infrastructure for the single Fourth of July fireworks event now nearly equals the expense of five of the Chamber’s free community events throughout the year.
The chamber said it has and will continue to look for locations, partnerships and funding that could permit a future firework show for the community. If you’re a potential partner or funder for fireworks or similar entertainment for the Fourth, please contact Ryan Crowther at ryan@edmondschamber.com.L
Alicia, thanks for triggering my memory! I am glad I wasn’t making it up about the Chamber. There were comments elsewhere that framed this as a City decision and I thought clarity would be helpful for those who thought fireworks had been displaced by another City expenditure. .
I respect the Chamber’s decision on this. And glad for the Lake Ballinger option which is walkable for my family.
Thanks for submitting your photos Niall. They’re really great.