NORTHAMPTON — The skies over Look Memorial Park will remain dark this July. For the first time in more than a decade, the Northampton Family Fourth Committee has voted to halt the city’s signature Independence Day celebration, a casualty of a post-pandemic economy where rising costs have outpaced community donations.
“It was a real hard decision,” said Brenda Ryan, who chairs the committee. “It was very hard for the committee to make and not one that came easily for us.”
The committee recently announced the decision on their Facebook page, and while the event is put off for this year due to inflation, it is not a permanent end. The committee will look to resume the event for 2027 if more donations come in.
“We’d really love to have people support and help out,” Ryan said. “Any donations that we can get, anything starts to build the pot. If they can give a little bit that would be amazing and … if someone gives a large donation we would appreciate that.”
Ryan described the fair as a family-friendly event that draws hundreds of people each year. Many will walk, ride bikes or drive into Look Park for the day to have a picnic while stopping at the bounce houses and food trucks. Families may also listen to live music or take a ride on the hot air balloon before the fireworks finale.
To make that happen, Ryan explained that the committee needs to raise a bare minimum of $25,000 each year, but realistically that figure needs to be closer to $35,000. That amount has increased over the years due to inflation and increasing costs of the ceremony’s festivities including fireworks and the required insurance.
“We were short by a fair amount of money to even just put the deposit down for the fireworks this year,” Ryan said.
Additionally, the group needs the funds roughly six months in advance of the event, to place deposits on fireworks, band equipment, insurance and other costs by December the year prior.
The group usually needs to save a large portion of the funds each year, but Ryan said it was clear the mark wasn’t going to be met this year. Ryan said the committee hopes to regroup and hopefully the year-long break will inspire new volunteers and donors to join the effort.
Ryan said since the event’s inception in 2011, the 10-person volunteer group has been able to make it happen just through donations and volunteers. While the group receives considerable help from the City of Northampton, Look Memorial Park and the Parks and Recreation Department to help organize and provide services for the event, the city does not provide any financial assistance.
Ryan and her husband joined the volunteer group in 2012, just a year after the event’s birth.
“We have 10 people that are in our core group of people and it’s a very strong committee,” Ryan said. “I feel very lucky to be a part of this great group of people.”
Ryan, who lives in Leeds, is no stranger to volunteer work. She also contributes to the Northampton Elks Lodge, Florence Civic Center, the Three County Fair and more. She said many groups are currently struggling to receive donations, keep up with inflation and rising costs. “Other groups have had difficulties fundraising too.”
“Looking where we are financially, the last two years we’ve been really trying to reach out and tell everybody that we need to raise more,” Ryan said. “People were trying to give, but they were in their own pinch and were not able to give us the funds they used to give.”
Ryan said it is sad that the ceremony won’t happen this year, but the group is still accepting donations in hopes for 2027.
More information can be found at the Northampton Family Fourth Committee’s Facebook page and website.