The Bay City Fireworks Festival is of course, about fireworks. But it’s really about getting people together to have a good time. Whether it’s carnival, the concerts, or the fireworks, we want people there in the parks enjoying themselves.
Planning for the festival starts almost when it ends! We take July off and then in planning for the next year start in August while things are still fresh in our minds. What went well? What do we need to fix? How can we be better next year? That's where planning starts, and it ends when all the volunteers, plans, and logistics come together a week and a half before the festival begins.
We do all that work because the festival is really about pride in Bay City. I've said this more than once, if you talk to other people around the state and mention Bay City, one of the first things that comes out of their mouth is the Fireworks Festival. It's what we're known for. It’s a moment of community pride for people, and it’s become what it is today because it’s important and that's why we do what we do.
We've got a great lineup of four national bands at this year’s The Bay City Fireworks Festival. Thursday night is Slaughter, and opening for them is BulletBoys. Saturday night is Jack Russell’s Great White and opening for them is Lynch Mob. For Lynch Mob, George Lynch is the former guitarist for the band Dokken and this is their final tour.”
The budget for the festival is around $375,000. It’s important to keep in mind that we don’t get to blow all of that up in the air, because a successful festival needs so many things like security, Porta Potties, paying the bands for the concerts that help us raise money to keep the festival going, and other expenses. Especially with everything costing more these days, we have to figure out creative ways to raise money so we can keep having this important event.
Wolverine Fireworks is here in Bay County and we work with them every year. There are so many moving parts to the festival, it’s wonderful to be able to count on them to show up every year and do such a fantastic job.”
– Earl Bovia, Bay City Fireworks Festival
