Marquette gets ready for Independence Day fireworks

Visitors to Marquette’s Lower Harbor Thursday morning got an inside look at what it takes to put together the city’s Independence Day celebration.

The harbor was alive with activity as the Army Corps of Engineers rolled in to set up the barges used to deploy Marquette’s Fourth of July fireworks show. Loading up the celebratory explosives is one of the final steps to setting up such a gigantic presentation.

“We’ve got over 1,700 that we’ll be shooting off tomorrow night,” said Jerry Irby, a member of the Marquette Fireworks Committee. “That ore dock is going to reverberate when those boomers go off. It’s just one of the neatest sounds that only you can hear in Marquette.”

The fireworks committee worked closely with the community to raise their goal of $50,000 through fundraisers, sponsorships, and donations. The money helped pay for this year’s fireworks and get the ball rolling for future celebrations.

“We had to work for our money this year. We probably will have to work for our money every year until we get a sustainable formula,” Irby added. “Our goal is to make this project for the community a sustainable project that we don’t have to, every year, reinvent ourselves.”

The fireworks will begin at dusk Friday, and planners expect the weather to be perfect for the show. Visitors will want to bring a portable radio, as 100.3 The Point and Yooper Country 96.7 will be broadcasting music synchronized with the display.