Writing on behalf of the White Lake Fireworks Committee, Montague mayor Tom Lohman recently sent a letter to area townships and municipalities in hopes of drumming up support for future fireworks shows, which he said are in danger due to the work and rising costs required to put them on.
The committee was formed to help put together a 2023 show after the Montague-Whitehall Rotary Club, which ran the show for many years, decided to bow out. Their decision to do so came after the 2022 show was delayed from July 4 to late in the month to coincide with Cruz In, which Lohman said sparked public outcry.
Lohman said the committee, which right now has only a handful of members, needs more people and would welcome any creative ideas for fundraising.
“We’re relying on donations from the cities, companies and individuals (right now),” Lohman said. “We sent out 180 letters and we’ve probably had 15 different companies that have donated this year. All the bills are paid, but it’s not a real big response. I think if we had more people on the committee to come up with more brainstorming of ideas on how to raise money - maybe it’s an auction, a raffle, whatever. I don’t see our costs for doing fireworks going down at all.”
The committee is contracted to put on a July 4, 2025 show and is on the verge of doing the same for 2026, America’s 250th birthday. However, Lohman said, the July 4 date has become such a popular booking date the commitee has been unable to lock one in thus far. He said as a result, it’s possible the 2026 show may have to move to July 3; “The cities will have to wade into that,” he said.
The letter Lohman submitted goes over several possibilities to improve Fourth of July celebrations in the area, including the possible addition of another community activity between the annual morning parade and the fireworks; he specifically cited 2026 as a great year to start a new tradition. However, the fireworks committee itself, he said, is stretched too thin as it is, so any such idea would likely have to come from a different group of people.
“Could it be that they have softball or Little League games in the afternoon? a carnival? Whatever it is, it will have to start with some brainstorming to see if it works,” Lohman said. “I realize it’s a family day, and maybe the afternoon is for families and they come back together.”
Another idea Lohman floated was an alternative to a fireworks show. Certainly cost is a factor in that idea, though Lohman noted there are also some who have pollution-related concerns about fireworks.
“There’s no current studies about it, and it’d be good to have someone get a sample before and after the fireworks, but I don’t know if that would happen,” Lohman said. “If you go to an alternative, I don’t know how that would go over with the public, because that’s a big thing for the Fourth.”
The committee also may consider alternative sites for the fireworks. Lohman said in his letter that due to safety issues, the current site, near the Montague Boat Launch, leaves parts of the bike trail and the Montague Bandshell, among other parts of the area, inaccessible to residents for much of the day.
“Finding another location around White Lake that fits the above criteria would be ideal and free up the boat launch, parking, and greenspace for viewing the fireworks display,” Lohman said in the letter.
Lohman is hopeful the public call for help will bring more suggestions, creativity and above all, more people to help make great Fourth of July celebrations a fixture in the area for years to come.
“The committee would be open to any kind of ideas, even if they’re way off the wall,” Lohman said. “If it seems to work, let’s put it into practice.”
