The New Richmond Fourth of July Fireworks Festival will make its 60th comeback this Saturday with a bang, boasting live music, games and rides, food and craft vendors, a car show, and new this year: elephant ears.
In case of rain, the event will take place Sunday.
“We put on a pretty big show for a small town,” said John Galloway, a volunteer organizer for the event. “We claim to be the best small-town fireworks display in the state. … I call it ‘family fun for everyone.’ ”
The celebration will begin at the Masonic Lodge with breakfast and a Yeti raffle from 7 to 10 a.m. Then the party will move to downtown New Richmond, with a car and motorcycle show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., games and carnival rides from 11 a.m. to dark, and bingo from 4 p.m. to dusk. Music will accompany the day, with Ladoga band Route 117 performing at 7 p.m.
New to this year also is the Little Miss and Mister Firecracker contest for ages 0-7, starting at 11 a.m. Contestants are judged on stage presence, personality, and attire, which should reflect the wearer’s “Sunday best” or a patriotic theme. Check-in begins at 10:30 a.m. and costs $10 per child, or $8 per additional child. Register online at https://www.newrichmondfireworks.com/#contest.
A New Richmond Fourth of July celebration wouldn’t be complete without its titular attraction. The 30-minute grand fireworks finale will begin at dusk — and this year, for the U.S.A.’s 250th Independence Day, it will be bigger than ever before.
“The finale is what everybody looks forward to, and it’s usually pretty spectacular,” Galloway said.
“If you drive a mile out, there are people out parked in the ditch watching,” added Mike Claycomb, another volunteer organizer for the event.
Both volunteers stressed the importance of leaving pets at home, as they can be easily spooked by fireworks. They also added that none of the festival — which sees up to 8,000 visitors each year, and is organized completely by volunteers — would be possible without community donors.
“I don’t know how many small towns our size continue to have a festival or Fourth of July spectacular like we do. It’s all because of the people from the community. It’s also because of the businesses around the community. Without their help, we wouldn’t be able to do any of this,” Galloway said.
New Richmond Fireworks is currently seeking donations for next year’s celebration. You can donate or choose to sponsor the event at https://www.newrichmondfireworks.com/.
