Chatham A’s Sponsor Fireworks July 2

CHATHAM – The town will get an early start on the Fourth of July holiday weekend with the July 2 fireworks at Veterans Field.

Sponsored by the Chatham Athletic Association, the Wednesday night event offers something for the entire family, with kids’ activities, music and fireworks at the downtown baseball field. And admission is free.

Children’s entertainment, including face painting and balloon making, starts at 7 p.m. At 8 p.m., the Jeff Lowe band will play good-time rock and roll from home plate, followed by the main event — the fireworks — at dark, expected to be about 9:15 p.m.

Watching the fireworks at Veterans Field is a memorable experience, whether it’s during First Night or in July, although it’s usually much more comfortable in July. The display is put on by the same company, North Star Fireworks, and attracts a big crowd, who view the show from the field as well as the surrounding streets.

 To accommodate those crowds and ensure continued emergency services, public safety officials will institute safety zones, traffic and parking restrictions for the evening of the fireworks.

 Parking lots near the field — including the community center, elementary school and Veterans Field lots — will close once full, expected to be about 7:30 p.m., according to the Chatham Police Department. When that happens, Depot Road will be closed to traffic from Post Office Road to Old Harbor Road, and Hitching Post Road will be closed from Depot Road to Old Academy Road. The roads will reopen after the fireworks and pedestrian traffic is safely clear.

 Depot Road from Hitching Post Road to the crosswalk at the stairs leading to the playground will be a safety zone; no pedestrians will be allowed in that stretch, which is directly in front of the fire station. This is to ensure access by emergency vehicles should the need arise. Officials warn attendees not to put chairs out in this area during the day; they will be removed by town staff.

 Fire Chief Justin Tavano said the department will be staging some equipment at the public works department on Crowell Road to ensure prompt response to calls.

 No parking areas and barricades will be set up in the area and police officers will be stationed to provide directions to the public.

Officials are encouraging folks to watch the fireworks from the little league field at the community center, which they say is a safe spot to set up blankets and chairs. Additional lighting will be added to allow safe access before and after the fireworks. People with children are especially encouraged to view the display from the little league field, which is adjacent to the playground.