Milwaukee parks officials: Too late to revive July 3 fireworks; every effort 'exhausted'

The Milwaukee County Parks Department and Parks Foundation doubled down on canceling the July 3 fireworks, issuing a statement Friday saying that they had already "exhausted every effort" to find new sponsors — and that even if last-minute funding was found, it would be too late to pull off the popular lakefront event.

"Milwaukee County Parks and Milwaukee Parks Foundation exhausted every effort to secure sponsorship and remained hopeful throughout the process," the joint statement read. "However, given the scale of this event, even if funding could be secured at this late stage, the limited timeframe of four weeks is insufficient to organize and execute it to the standards our community deserves."

The County Parks Department announced late on May 24 that the July 3 fireworks — one of the signature events of Milwaukee's summer for more than 60 years — would not take place this year due to a "lack of sponsorship." Since then, there's been talk in the community about efforts to revive it.

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But the joint statement issued May 31 seems to put a damper on that.

"We've had dozens of conversations over the years with donors about supporting the July 3rd fireworks show. In 2024, the private sponsorship simply did not come together due to lack of interest from funders," Rebecca Stoner, executive director of Milwaukee Parks Foundation, said in the statement. "On a daily basis we work with the reality that our Milwaukee County Parks system has the same level of funding it did in the 1980s, which means there are many parks that require significant investment.

"I would welcome a conversation with any potential supporters who want our park system to be more vibrant, equitable, and financially sustainable."

The Parks Department reiterated the point: "Despite our extensive efforts to secure sponsorship for this year's event, we were unable to obtain the necessary funding to cover the significant expenses. The fireworks display alone costs $350,000 with an additional $20,000 allocated for operational costs such as staffing, portalets, dumpsters, etc."

As with the original announcement, the Parks Department suggested residents instead check out the July 4 fireworks in 14 county parks: Hales Corners Park in Hales Corners; Sheridan Park in Cudahy; Kletzsch Park in Glendale; Grant Park in South Milwaukee; and Alcott, Wilson, Mitchell, Washington, Noyes, Lincoln, Jackson, Humboldt, Gordon and Lake parks.

Although its roots go back to the early 1960s, Milwaukee's July 3 fireworks have had a rocky time of it in recent years.

Begun as part of a downtown festival that included the Great Circus Parade, the lakefront fireworks initially were sponsored by Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co. and held on July 4 starting in 1963. The date was switched to July 3 in 1966.

Schlitz dropped its sponsorship in 1980, but First Wisconsin Corp., the Milwaukee-based banking company took over the role. The bank and its successor owners, including U.S. Bank, continued sponsorship until 2018.

After U.S. Bank pulled out, the 2019 fireworks were almost canceled — but were rescued in early April of that year by a partnership involving the Parks Department, the Milwaukee Brewers, American Family Insurance and T&M Partners, a holding company controlled by investor/philanthropist Ted Kellner, along with Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich.

A similar alliance was lined up to sponsor the 2020 fireworks, only to have them canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fireworks were canceled again in 2021, when the county said it didn't have the staff and resources necessary to prepare for the event and clean up afterward.

The fireworks returned in 2022 and 2023; the 2023 sponsors included American Family Insurance, J&M Displays, the Milwaukee Parks Foundation and T&M Partners.

The corporate sponsors didn't re-up for 2024.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: It's too late to revive July 3 fireworks, Milwaukee parks official say