Results from change of location for Eau Claire Fireworks Extravaganza

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - With the 4th of July behind us, city officials and business managers are reflecting on the change in location for the Eau Claire Fireworks Extravaganza.

General manager Benjamin Orlikowski at the CourtN’ House Bar & Grill said was booming Tuesday.

“We had a lot more business than we initially planned on. Which is good. Definitely good for a 4th of July and for a holiday when a lot of people are out of town, out on the water, trying to be outside. Stuff like that,” said Orlikowski.

He said that’s thanks in part to the fireworks display moving to the High Bridge on the Chippewa River.

The change in location for the show brought with it business along the Chippewa River.

“We thought that with the fireworks moving from Carson Park to the High Bridge downtown here, it might help shift things around, people might be moving around in this area a bit more,” said Orlikowski.

Of course, what’s a good show without a hitch, or in the case Tuesday night, a down pour.

“I think a lot of people were wondering what’s going to happen with the storm and fireworks, they weren’t sure,” said Orlikowski.

“The weather can always be a challenge, but the pyrotechnics team was able to adapt and they were confident that they could. And, we’re real happy with how it turned out,” said Cory Tietz, the community services operations coordinator for The City of Eau Claire.

He said moving the launch site from Carson Park to the High Bridge helped with accessibility and safety.

“It looked very positive. Walking around anywhere from, you know throughout, around downtown and Phoenix Park over along 1st Avenue. There was a lot of the people really taking advantage of the space,” said Tietz.

The number of staff between this year and previous years also changed.

“We actually had less. Because it’s so spread out you don’t have to worry about crowd control as much as you had to before,” said Tietz.

He said no damage to high bridge was reported, or any incidents from the crowds that attended the fireworks show.

Tietz said he and other city officials will be meeting next Tuesday to fully debrief on how the festivities went. They will be discussing on what was learned with the change in location and what they could be doing differently for next year.

For right now, Tietz said it could take a while before a decision is made on whether or not the launch fireworks from the High Bridge again next year.

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