Fireworks return to the Minneapolis riverfront this Fourth of July

After last year’s laser show and five years of no fireworks, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will host the return of “Red, White & Boom.”

RES Pyro, this summer’s fireworks supplier from Belle Plaine, is planning a 16-minute show, according to Robin Smothers, media relations manager for the Park Board. The pyrotechnics will be deployed from a secure space between Boom Island and the Stone Arch Bridge.

She said the exact aerial displays are currently “a proprietary secret,” but the show, scheduled for 10 p.m. on July 4th, will be a thrilling, long-awaited one.

Because of the pandemic, the Park Board has led smaller, family focused celebrations in city parks. In 2023 it sponsored a laser show on Boom Island, set to patriotic music.

“Not everyone is a fan of fireworks because of the noise,” Smothers said. But the Park Board heard that people missed the fireworks display. “Our events team worked hard to bring that back,” she said.

The Stone Arch Bridge is undergoing a two-year construction, so visitors won’t be able to walk across it. The Park Board isn’t doing any programming on the east side of the river; the live music and food trucks, which begin at 6 p.m., will be on the west side at Water Works at Mill Ruins Park and the parking lot of Stone Arch Bridge.

As usual, there won’t be any seating, so bring chairs or blankets. The parking lot at Boom Island, which used to be a viewing site, will only be open to people with disability parking certificates.

Now, all that needs to happen is for the skies to stay clear. The Park Board can’t control that, but it will post weather updates on MPRB’s website and social media. And it will “wait as long as possible to make a decision on cancellations due to rain,” Smothers said.