There's a new plan for July 3 at Glen Oak Park. But will the fireworks ever return?

Some members of the Peoria Park District Board of Trustees still hope to see the July 3 fireworks show at Glen Oak Park return someday, but that will not be the case this year as the park district is pivoting to a new plan.

Controversy was sparked over the Glen Oak fireworks event earlier this year when the Peoria Police Department said it would like to see the event indefinitely canceled because of crime and safety concerns.

Eventually, the Peoria Park District Board of Trustees voted 4-2 to cancel the event in 2024. But even some who voted to cancel the event in 2024 would like to see it return.

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What will replace Glen Oak Park's July 3 fireworks?

Instead of the traditional July 3 fireworks show at Glen Oak Park, which was the subject of controversy this year as safety concerns around the event were debated, the park district will hold two new events.

There will still be an event held at Glen Oak Park on July 3, but it will not include fireworks and will be held during the daytime. This event will have program geared toward children.

The new event will be held July 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature food and entertainment in the upper part of Glen Oak Park near Peoria Zoo.

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Peoria Park District police officers will handle security at the event.

Park District Executive Director Emily Cahill said the park district hopes to bring in kids from various summer camp programs in the area for the event.

The second event replacing the fireworks will be a celebration of Glen Oak Park's birthday on Sept. 7 from noon to 7 p.m.

"We are going to celebrate Glen Oak's birthday with more of a festival kind of experience with entertainment, food, all of the fun stuff but do it all day long on a Saturday so more families can come," Cahill said.

Cahill said she hopes the September event could become a new tradition that shows the East Bluff the park district is still committed to serving its neighborhood with programming.

"I am really proud of our staff for coming up with some quality approaches that support not only the East Bluff but also Glen Oak Park but the community," Cahill said. "I think those two days are a really nice add to our inventories in 2024. I also think it's really important there is some clear separation from what 3rd of July was last year to what it is this year so that there isn't confusion for people."

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Park District Board Trustee Joyce Harant said they are describing this year as "sort of a breather" from the traditional July 3 fireworks show.

"We need to figure out how we can engage the stakeholders, the East Bluff residents and the Peoria area in general to learn how we might engage people in events on July 3 and do it in a way that we can better assure it will be calm and will just be fun for people," Harant said.

Will 3rd of July fireworks return to Glen Oak Park?

Harant said the decisions the board of trustees made this year about July 3 at Glen Oak Park were done so keeping next year's event in mind. Harant was among the four board trustees who voted to cancel the fireworks this year but said she would like to see them return.

"My goal — and I am only one vote — is that we learn through these engagements and increase the engagement of the community and East Bluff residents and businesses and July 3rd of 2025, my goal would be — and I don't know if we will meet this goal or not — would be to bring the fireworks back," Harant said.

Cahill said the decision to bring back the fireworks or not next year would be up to the board of trustees, but she added it will be important for the park district to remind the community that Glen Oak Park is not defined by one day of the year or the unsafe reputation the July 3 event applied to the park.

"My focus right now is on providing two really quality special events at Glen Oak Park this summer and starting to change that conversation that to me wasn't necessarily a fair conversation to begin with," Cahill said. "A single day event with some challenges does not make the park something that it isn't. From our perspective, Glen Oak Park is, in fact, the flagship park in our inventory. It is a space we are beyond proud of and would argue with anybody is world class and stands up toe-to-toe with other parks across the country or the world with what it's able to offer."

Cahill also believes it will be important for this year's July 3 event to be distinct from the traditional show.

"By having a distinct event on the 3rd of July that honors the history of the day but is clearly different I think is really important for us," Cahill said. "I think it shows our commitment to the East Bluff — we don't want them in any way to think that because the fireworks aren't happening this year that we don't value them or support them."

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Board trustee Steve Montez said he thinks the park district staff "has the right idea" with July 3 this year but added he would like to see the firework show return next year. Montez, who also voted to cancel the fireworks this year, said that is not "a given," however.

In order for the fireworks to return to Glen Oak Park, Montez said the event needs to see more adults and families in attendance rather than what he called a small group of "troublemakers" who created challenges at the event the past few years.

"Don't allow them to take over that spot and we have done that in previous years," Montez said. "We would like more community buy-in and get help from the community agencies and the neighborhood associations and see if we can have a newly configured event next year."

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Will July 3 Glen Oak Park fireworks return in 2025?