After nearly a decade of dark skies on Independence Day, St. Paul might finally be getting its big boom back. The St. Paul Rotary is leading a fast-moving fundraising drive to stage a full-scale "Red, White & BOOM!" celebration at Cathedral Hill Park on July 4, complete with food trucks, a concert and a dusk fireworks show. Whether the rockets actually launch depends on hitting a tight fundraising goal in mid-June.
According to KSTP, the event carries a total price tag of about $125,000 once police coverage, insurance and permits are added in. The Rotary says it has already kicked in roughly $28,000 of its own money, and that private donations have pushed the total raised to more than $50,000. Organizers told KSTP the whole show could still be canceled if the $125,000 goal is not met by June 15. The city has not promised direct funding, although the club says St. Paul Parks and Recreation reduced some permit fees and the mayor's office has been "very supportive."
Event plans, schedule and how to give
The Rotary's event calendar lists Cathedral Hill Park as the planned launch site. The park sits on the high ground next to the Cathedral of Saint Paul at 215 Summit Ave. Food trucks are slated to line Dayton Avenue starting at 6 p.m., with a free concert inside the cathedral and remarks from the mayor before fireworks at dusk.
Donors who contribute $30 or more are set to receive a commemorative T-shirt, and the club is courting both individual givers and business sponsors to close the remaining budget gap. Event details and donation options are posted on the St. Paul Rotary website.
Why the tradition stopped and why it is back on the table
Per KSTP, the last free city fireworks show open to the general public in St. Paul took place in 2016. CHS Field hosted Independence Day displays in subsequent years, but then-mayor Melvin Carter ended city-funded fireworks in 2018.
Organizers say this year's push is fueled in part by the United States' 250th anniversary, which has added some symbolic urgency to reviving the tradition. Their game plan is to rely on a broad base of smaller donors, joined by business partners, instead of depending on city money. "We're getting so much positive feedback that we think we're gonna get it," Rotary chair Carolyn Will told KSTP.
Next steps and what to expect
The Rotary is pressing for the remaining funds to come in quickly so it can lock in vendors, finalize insurance and coordinate public-safety logistics. The club set June 15 as the cutoff date to decide whether the event can move ahead.
Donations can be made through the Rotary's online portal, and the July 4 celebration is already listed on the city's tourism events calendar. For specifics and links to donate, check the St. Paul Rotary event information and the Visit Saint Paul events calendar.
