Fireworks making a comeback in New Jersey

🎇 More NJ towns planning fireworks celebrations
🎇 Local leaders see it as community building
🎇 A new way to shoot off fireworks with drones

During the COVID health emergency, New Jersey towns canceled public celebrations, including Fourth of July fireworks events, but this year, once again, many municipalities are staging elaborate pyrotechnic displays.

According to Mike Cerra, the executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, while there were a limited number of fireworks events in 2022 this year we’ve turned a corner.

He said a lot of local leaders have prioritized fireworks this year “to help recreate a sense of community after a really rough patch of years and separations, it’s more than just one night out watching fireworks, it’s really rebuilding the community.”

SEE THE LIST: Fireworks displays in New Jersey for the Fourth

Many reasons for fireworks

He said these kinds of activities are important on many levels.

“We seem to be getting more and more polarized so whenever you can find areas where you can have a good time and reconnect with your neighbors and your friends I think it’s beneficial to the community as a whole.

Cerra said in many cases, “towns are partnering with local organizations, whether that be a local civic group, local business groups in order to do the fireworks or other holiday events.”

He said there’s no question New Jersey is getting back to normal for many things, including outdoor summer events.

Making it affordable

He pointed out that depending on how elaborate a fireworks display is it can get fairly expensive, so towns may look for different ways to cut costs, including partnering with a business or company to put on a show.

“I think there’s been a lot of creativity and a lot of initiative in order to bring these events back.”

He added for the first time this year, “we’re beginning to see drone shows now, where the drones are actually setting off the fireworks, so that’s kind of a new wrinkle into all of this.”

You can see a list of where fireworks displays are taking place here.

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