Marquette getting ready for Fourth of July celebration

MARQUETTE — The Fourth of July is just around the corner, and one city in the central U.P. is getting ready to celebrate it with a big bang.

Volunteers in the City of Marquette are putting together their annual Independence Day celebrations, including a fireworks display at the Lower Harbor. Getting the thirty-thousand dollar display off the ground is a large undertaking, requiring a lot of planning and teamwork.

“You just don’t take a truckload of explosives and say, ‘oh, let’s send it someplace like in Upper Michigan.’ It takes much more than people realize,” said Tom Baldini, Chair of the Marquette Area Fireworks Committee. “We have about 1,700 rockets, which is a significant number – three inches on up to ten inches.”

While a fire on one of the barges used to deploy the fireworks cut off last year’s show early, organizers are confident that this year’s display will be a success. Music is being added to the show again this year as well.

“It’ll be choreographed to music, and those who will be down here in the park can listen to the music, but those who are out on their boats or out on M-28 or scattered around the city watching the fireworks can tune to FM 100.3 The Point, and the music will be on the radio,” Baldini added.

The fireworks display is just one part of the city’s celebration. Festivities kick off Thursday with the International Food Fest, and a parade will be held Saturday morning as well.