MONTAGUE — Two events to celebrate the Fourth of July will take place on Friday, July 3, with the annual Montague Center bonfire continuing its longstanding tradition, and an innovative projected fireworks display debuting at the Shea Theater Arts Center.
Montague Center bonfire
The decades-old tradition of the Montague Center bonfire will return to the Montague Center Ballfield. Sponsored by the Montague Center Firefighters Association, the annual event will kick off at 4 p.m. on Friday with 10 arts and crafts vendors, a new addition to the festivities, according to Montague Center EMT Ann Fisk. The new addition, she said, will “add a little more draw to the fire before we light it.”
Then at 5 p.m., burgers and hot dogs will be available before a dusk bonfire lighting. Other events that afternoon include face painting, live music from Heath Lewis and Michelle Mae, and a chance for guests to aim a fire hose at a target.
A 50/50 raffle and a T-shirt sale will also take place to benefit the Montague Center Firefighters Association.
Projected fireworks show
While tradition continues in Montague Center, a new way to celebrate the Fourth of July is making its debut during the Turners Falls First Friday programming.
A free, silent fireworks display will be presented in the alleyway next to the Shea Theater Arts Center, 72 Avenue A, giving attendees a quieter option for celebrating Independence Day by using a Lumi projector owned by RiverCulture, the town’s creative economy program housed in the Montague Planning Department.
“I’m going to use this incredible piece of equipment more,” RiverCulture Director Suzanne LoManto said about the projector, adding that it has “all the bells and whistles” needed for video projection.
The event will start at 9 p.m. with a screening of the Montague Historical Society’s short film “Fourth of July at Turners Falls 1951,” showing the festivities of the holiday 75 years ago, with speedboats on Barton Cove.
Then at 9:15 p.m., the “Quiet Fireworks Show” takes off. Popcorn and beverages will be served, LoManto said, and attendees are advised to bring chairs.
Before the silent fireworks show kicks off, events are also scheduled as part of Turners Falls First Friday, which is organized each month by local businesses in coordination with RiverCulture and Downtown District Coordinator Christian LaPlante. A full list of events is available on the First Friday Turners Falls Facebook page at tinyurl.com/yzm383zb.
