Fort Vancouver Fireworks

Fort Vancouver Fireworks was an 4th of July Event that took place on and over National Park land in Vancouver, Washington, USA. It started in 1963 and as of 2008 was operated by the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust [http://www.vnhrt.org/] , with fireworks by Western Display Fireworks [http://www.westerndisplay.com] . Fort Vancouver Fireworks was billed as the largest Fireworks display west of the Mississippi; in 2007 the show further claimed to use the largest shells on the west coast, ending with the 'largest Fireworks Finale Ever.'

KGW-TV news reported September 9, 2008 that the foundation responsible for operating the event (including sales at fireworks stands in Vancouver which funded the event and the fireworks show) had developed a substantial deficit and announced cancellation of the 2009 show and future events. Steadily declining sales at fireworks stands could no longer cover the costs of the celebration.

History -

Chronology of changes of the 45 years of fireworks at Fort Vancouver

: 1968: Eliot Davis, Fort Vancouver's superintendent, warns crowds are becoming too large to be managed by two uniformed National Park Service employees. "The events are drawing more and more young people who are looking for action, and one of these days we could have some," Davis writes in a memo to the park service's western regional director.

: 1976: A crowd, estimated at 65,000 to 70,000 people, floods Fort Vancouver to celebrate the nation's bicentennial. After the show, southbound traffic on the Interstate 5 Bridge backs up until 3 a.m. Fort Vancouver Superintendent Donald Gillespie announces the historic site can no longer be used for launching fireworks.

: 1977: A compromise is reached that allows the event to continue at Fort Vancouver. City police agree to provide additional security. Alcohol and private fireworks are banned, and publicity is scaled back in hopes of reducing the crowd.

: 1978: Eighteen days before the Fourth of July, organizers announce the festival has been canceled because of rising costs, a lack of cooperation from the National Park Service and biased coverage by The Columbian. Two days later, another compromise allows the event to continue.

: 1982: The state Legislature liberalizes fireworks law to allow firecrackers, Roman candles and other devices that had been illegal since 1961, making the sale of consumer fireworks far more lucrative. The Fort Vancouver 4th of July Committee's sales more than quadruple from the previous year.

: 1983: A 37-year-old Portland man suffers burns in an accident during the fireworks show, the first technician injured in the festival's 21-year history.

: 1984: Legislature tinkers with fireworks law and bans firecrackers, but Roman candles and other pyrotechnic devices remain legal.

: 1985: A four-hour telethon is held on local cable television in hopes of raising up to $40,000 to support the Fourth of July show. The results are disappointing: $3,167.29 in pledges, minus $1,000 in costs.

: 1989: Country-music star Lee Greenwood captivates an estimated 50,000 people with a 75-minute set that culminates with "God Bless the U.S.A."

:1994: Development along the Columbia River prompts organizers to move the fireworks launch pad to a barge in the Columbia River.

: 1998: The 4th of July Committee considers canceling the show until Promus Hotel Corp., owner of Doubletree Hotels, bails out the event with a last-minute $40,000 donation.

: 1999: The 4th of July Committee joins forces with Celebrate Freedom, sponsor of the Marshall Lecture and other community events, to try to put the fireworks extravaganza on stable financial footing. Celebrate Freedom in turn becomes part of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust.

: 2001: Organizers ask festivalgoers to voluntarily contribute $2 and two cans of food as part of a new "Take 4 to the 4th" campaign.

: 2002: Vancouver police decide to erect a temporary security fence around the festival site and to search ice chests, backpacks and other containers for alcohol, fireworks and weapons. The American Civil Liberties Union files a lawsuit challenging the security measures, but the ACLU's plaintiff settles before the lawsuit can be argued in court.

: 2003: The 4th of July Committee says it lost $145,000 on the previous year's festival. The committee slashes the entertainment budget by 76 percent and lops 12 minutes off what had been a 42-minute fireworks show. The "Take 4 to the 4th" campaign becomes "Take $4 to the 4th" as organizers increase the suggested donation to $4 per person.

: 2004: Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust takes over as the festival's primary organizer. Later in the year, the trust signs a seven-year contract with Edward Dominic Rinck, who runs the Bomber Brothers fireworks stands. Rinck agrees to provide $250,000 annually to the show, an amount that will increase 5 percent a year over the life of the seven-year contract.

: 2008: The forthcoming July 2009 show is cancelled.

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