Politics & Government
Fair Lawn Considering Multi-Day Fourth of July Festival
With the borough's fireworks display in jeopardy for next year and private donations tough to come by, two council members are looking at alternatives.
It's never too soon to start planning the celebration of your nation's independence; especially if it might save everyone some money.
Fair Lawn Deputy Mayor John Cosgrove and Councilman Kurt Peluso presented a preliminary plan to council Tuesday that re-envisions the borough's Fourth of July celebration as a multi-day, money making event.
Rather than a single night of fireworks, Cosgrove said he'd like to model Fair Lawn's Fourth of July celebration after the three-day Independence Day celebration held annually in Montville Township that includes a multi-day carnival and a fireworks display that's free to residents.
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At Montville's Independence Day celebration this year, residents were treated to a three-day carnival with rides, a classic car show, live music, a 5K run, a flea market, a parade, a knockoff American Idol competition, hot air balloon rides and a free fireworks celebration.
Cosgrove said he already has a date set to meet with a representative from Montville to discuss replicating the event.
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"I would just like the council's permission to look into this and bring some type of package where possibly we can keep the fireworks going and bring in some revenue," said Cosgrove, adding that Montville has either broken even or occasionally made money from its Independence Day celebration.
By contrast, Fair Lawn -- whose adult residents paid $7 in advance or $9 at the gate to see -- recouped only about $19,000 of the $30,000 the borough spent on the event, which includes employee overtime costs. Private donations, which have paid for a portion of the event in the past, were .
As a result of the event's pricetag, Deputy Mayor .
With council's go ahead to investigate reworking the borough's Fourth of July celebration, Cosgrove and Peluso hope next year's celebration marks a new and sustainable beginning, rather than the end of Fourth of July fireworks in Fair Lawn.
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