Jaycees fireworks usually attract big crowd

COLUMBUS -- Onlookers will begin staking out their viewing spots hours before the first volleys of fireworks rocket into the skies above Platte County Agricultural Park for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display Thursday night.

“People will be everywhere,’’ said Becky Sindelar, president of the Columbus Jaycees. The local organization raises thousands of dollars from corporate and individual donors to help sponsor the annual holiday event.

Thousands of spectators are expected to set the holiday weekend off with a bang by filling the Ag Park grandstand when the ground and aerial show begins shortly after nightfall Thursday.

Many more people will sit around their vehicles in the Ag Park parking lot and line Third Avenue bordering the grandstand area to view the flash and glitter of this year’s show.

Other people will scout out more distant or secluded viewing sites to try to catch the glare and glow of the show as fireworks rain down on the grandstand area.

“There will be cars and trailers all over the Ag Park parking lot,’’ Sindelar said. “To get the full effect of the fireworks, people have to be out at Ag Park.”

Premiere Pyrotechnics of Missouri is in charge of the show and, as usual, the pyrotechnics will be set to music. Free-will donations will be taken at the end of the show for those who wish to contribute.

Donations may also be sent by mail to: Columbus Jaycees, P.O. Box 742, Columbus, NE, 68602.

The Jaycees raise funds year-round for the fireworks display from such events as the haunted corn maze, haunted house, teen dances, fundraisers and individual donations.

To help fund the free event, the Jaycees once again have a fireworks stand located in the Harley Davidson Sales parking lot, 410 23rd St. The stand will be open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

This year’s calendar gave the Jaycees the opportunity to shift the annual display back to its traditional date on the eve of the Fourth of July.

The display has been staged July 3 (which was on a Tuesday last year) in recent years. But in order to have a backup date in case of rain, the event had to be moved up to Sunday (July 1) last year.

If the event had been rained out last year, the fireworks celebration would have rocketed into the skies July 3. With this year’s holiday falling on a Friday, many fireworks watchers Thursday will be starting off a three-day weekend.

“Most people don’t have to work on Friday, so they’ll be able to stay up late and watch the fireworks show,’’ Sindelar said.

The weather is expected to cooperate.

The National Weather Service has forecast cooler temperatures Thursday under partly sunny skies. The high is expected to climb into the 70s, with northeast winds of 5-10 mph.

On Thursday night, lows are predicted to dip into the mid-50s with southeast winds up to 10 mph.

For July 4, the weather service has forecast mostly sunny skies with highs in the lower 80s and southeast winds up to 10 mph. Friday night lows are expected sink into the lower 60s.