Fireworks back on Grand Island for the 4th

By Karen Carr Keefe

Senior Contributing Writer

Let the pyrotechnics begin!

This Fourth of July, Grand Island will have its first community fireworks show in six years.

The sky has not lit up over the Island’s amusement park since 2019. Fantasy Island, the traditional fireworks venue, had closed in February 2020 due to financial difficulties.

Lucky for Islanders, its successor, Niagara Amusement Park and Splash World at Fantasy Island, is hosting the fireworks display this year at the park, 2400 Grand Island Blvd. IB Parks and Entertainment purchased the park in 2021 and opened for business in 2022.

But took a village – or in this case – the community of Grand Island, to help bring the fireworks back.

In a fundraising drive last fall, Moose Lodge 180, at 2524 Grand Island Blvd., raised the $15,000 needed to “bring the fireworks back, one bang at a time.”

A fireworks company has been booked for Friday, the Fourth of July, at Niagara Amusement Park and Splash World. The park is open from noon to 9 p.m. on the holiday, and after the park closes, there will be a fireworks display at dusk.

Mary Ehde of the Moose Lodge spearheaded the fundraising campaign. She and the lodge’s fireworks committee enlisted local bands to perform in an open jam session fundraiser. Residents and local businesses answered the call. Then more donations – big donations – started rolling in after the fundraiser.

Ehde contacted IB Parks just to see if it was viable to stage a fireworks display at the park.

It was.

Ehde explains how it all fell together.

The lodge’s affinity with fireworks on the 4th is a matter of proximity and tradition. The Moose Lodge, at 2524 Grand Island Blvd., is neighbors with the amusement park, at 2400, and members and families would have a party at the lodge to watch the fireworks and celebrate the holiday.

Island businesses also came to depend on a rise in business before and after the fireworks, as people continued their celebrations in their hometown.

“I’ve been working at the Moose Lodge for 35 years, and I’ve worked every single Fourth of July,” Ehde said. “We did not get busy until 8 o’clock, because everybody would bring their families for watching the fireworks, and s’mores – we’d have a campfire – because it’s right in our backyard.”

“Three years in a row, I closed at 8 o’clock at night because people had to travel (off-Island) to go see fireworks. So, this last one, last year, it was a couple days after the Fourth, and I just threw on Facebook: ‘Couldn’t we do a fundraiser or something to keep our businesses open?’ Reaching out to the businesses, actually, because we’re all suffering.”

Ehde said that, without fireworks on Grand Island, the holiday just didn’t go as well. The traditional activities were disrupted. It was the parade, the afterparty at the VFW, then later, going to the fireworks at Fantasy Island.

Ehde wanted to reestablish the flow: “Now they had to go and fight the bridges” to see fireworks, once the fireworks were no longer on the Island.

“So, I thought, ‘What do you think about us having a fundraiser?’ ”

She got some positive feedback.

“I called IB Parks’ owner in Texas and asked him if it was viable, and a couple days later, I got a phone call from one of the VPs from Chicago,” Ehde said.

He gave it the green light, saying the company had its hands full getting the park back in shape (burst waterlines, vandalism to the rides while the park was closed down), and it would appreciate the fundraising effort this year to enable the fireworks tradition to resume.

In fact, Tom Crisci and his wife – both VPs of IB Parks and Entertainment – joined members of the Moose Lodge for a car show the club put on last year.

“They just got in the car, and they came and gave out, like 1,000 free passes for the park, and everybody was going up to them and talking about the glory days of Fantasy Island,” Ehde said.

The fundraiser brought in about $6,000. Ehde went door-knocking to drum up more donations.

“I didn’t care if it was $25 or $100,” she said.

The biggest single donation of $500 was from an out-of-town friend. Putting the effort over the top: $1,000 from Adrian’s Custard & Beef, and another of $5,000 from D&H Paving and Grover’s Bar & Grill.

The $15,000 that was raised buys 15 minutes of fireworks.

Working along with IB Parks and Entertainment, Ehde was able to book a display at the amusement park for the Fourth of July with Skylighters Fireworks, a locally owned and operated professional fireworks company, based in Orchard Park, that has been in business for more than 30 years.

Skylighters owner Matthew Shaw said, “Obviously, Grand Island is no stranger to fireworks. They’ve been putting on amazing fireworks shows over at Fantasy Island. We’ve worked with many different groups over the years, over there.

The company has big plans for Grand Islanders this year.

“It’s a finale type of display. It’s going to be very, very active” with a range of colors, “different effects, multiple levels,” Shaw said. “It’s a very, very powerful finale-type display that we’re going to be producing for them.”

He said the display would be about 15 to 20 minutes long.

“We pride ourselves on over-delivering everything that we sell,” Shaw said. “It’s going to be very full and impactful the entire time. It’s going to be a great fireworks show.”

“Mary (Ehde) headed up this to bring back fireworks, but it’s a joint venture between Mary, the lodge and, obviously, the (Niagara) Amusement Park; so, there’s many people involved to make this happen,” Shaw added.

IB Parks and Entertainment Vice President Tom Crisci said park hours for July 4 are noon–9 p.m. to accommodate the Grand Island parade.

"Currently, our parking lot is at a reduced capacity as it houses some additional rides and attractions that are slated to be added to the park,” he said. “Parking in our lot for the fireworks show will be free for our season passholders and our daily tickets guests. Anyone who wishes to park in our lot who is not a season passholder or guest of the day will pay $10 to park."

Crisci said those in that circumstance who are lucky enough to find a spot in the parking lot are welcome to watch the fireworks show from there. 

In addition, Crisci said there’s a special deal being offered to Island residents for Sunday, July 6.

“As a bonus for the Grand Island residents, they can come for free!” he said. “Yes, with valid proof of Grand Island residency, we’ve invited the entire Island to come check out the completely rebuilt amusement and water park and all the new and improved live shows! Sunday, July 6, Grand Island residents get in free of charge from 5 p.m. until closing.”