Plans Announced For Fireworks Festival In Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, CT — Middletown’s annual Fireworks Festival is being delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Friday.

The festival will take place Sept. 4, with a rain date of Sept. 5, along the bank of the Connecticut River at Harbor Park, and the front lawn of the City’s Municipal Building at 245 deKoven Drive.

“Middletown’s fireworks festival normally occurs around the Fourth of July holiday,” officials wrote in a news release. “After careful consideration, and in consultation with public health officials, it was determined that delaying the fireworks until September would be a safer course of action as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The fireworks festival is a family-friendly event that has drawn large crowds to Middletown’s downtown during past years. The festival typically offers music, entertainment, and numerous food vendors. Officials said all public health guidelines will be followed so that “everyone can enjoy a safe and spectacular event. “

“As much as I would love to host the fireworks in July, we decided to postpone the event until September so that everyone can enjoy the festivities in as safe a way as possible,” Mayor Ben Florsheim said in a statement. “I hope everyone enjoys a happy and safe Fourth of July, as well as a great spring and summer season as we continue to work towards returning to all the things we love doing. I look forward to the September fireworks as a chance for the community to come together and celebrate, knowing that brighter days are ahead.”

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