Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Fireworks shows in doubt

The status of Fort Wayne's only two major fireworks displays - the Fourth of July show and the Three Rivers Festival finale - is uncertain.

After three-quarters of a century sponsoring the Fourth of July fireworks, The News-Sentinel, the show's organizer and only cash sponsor last year, has decided the cost is no longer worth it. The newspaper's publisher, Mary Jacobus, did say that if a group of committed sponsors, willing to share the financial cost, came forward, "We certainly would consider sponsoring this."

The Three Rivers Festival, scheduled for July 10-18 this summer, may have to find a new location for its show because National City Bank reportedly decided to make its West Berry Street building unavailable to launch the fireworks because of liability concerns. A festival board member, who asked not to be identified, said negotiations on potential new launch sites are under way.

So, the world of corporate takeovers and anti-local event sponsoring has made yet another huge impact on our city's market.

Shame, too. Here we had a chance at being something close to Indy, somewhere down the line.

Community is what brings a city together -- and Fort Wayne has always demonstrated that quite well, in my opinion. Although National City and the NS deserve a slap on the ass for dropping out, it's slightly understandable if they truly feel the way they do about the economy. However, I find the NS slightly more in the clear than National City, whom bought out our hometown bank (Fort Wayne National) years ago. They swore they'd stick with us as a community, and that their dedication to said events would stay in tact.

Liars.

The Three Rivers Festival fireworks are one of Fort Wayne's hidden treasures, launching a fairly nice pyrotechnics display from the top of one of our city's biggest buildings. Even though the food may be pricy and the parking may suck ass (let alone the traffic afterwords), it still brings people together in our little city of churches.

It's still tradition.

It still matters.

TRF losing the fireworks launching spot can be considered a major blow to the festival, but also to the city.

What's next? Johnny Appleseed's burial plot getting moved? Santa Claus and his mega-bulb wreath getting hoisted atop a building some 2,000 miles away? An insurance company moving to....

shit.

#posted by Dave 12:50:00 PM