Wausau Mayor asks area communities to come together for 4th of July fireworks show

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - The town of Rib Mountain, village of Rothschild, city of Schofield, and village of Weston have been asked by Wausau’s Mayor Katie Rosenberg to team up for a Fourth of July fireworks celebration.

In a letter sent to the municipalities earlier this month, Mayor Rosenberg explained there is potential construction planned for Marathon Park which would prevent a fireworks show from taking place. The county is looking at replacing the water main through the park as well as updating the building’s connections. Assistant Director of Community Services at the Wausau & Marathon County Parks, Recreation & Forestry Marcus Aumann explained the water service in areas of the park was discovered to not be to code. Because of this work, there is the uncertainty of water availability and the project timeline so some events have been turned away.

Mayor Rosenberg’s proposal is asking the communities to join in on funding the event.

“We want to be sure there is a celebration of this important holiday, and we find ourselves with an opportunity to fill the void,” Mayor Rosenberg explained.

The plan is to have the celebration at the Wausau Airport toward the river on the evening of the 4th of July. Rosenberg explained that because there is a larger buffer at the airport the show would be able to offer larger fireworks than would normally be used at Marathon Park. The proposal states it would be the largest fireworks show in northern Wisconsin.

The show could be watched by boat in addition municipalities would create designated viewing spots.

Each municipality would be asked to contribute $3,500. A sponsor will contribute an additional $15,000 toward the show.

The Weston Board is scheduled to discuss the proposal at its meeting on Monday. The town of Rib Mountain will discuss the proposal on Tuesday. The Rothschild Tourism Commission will discuss the proposal on Tuesday afternoon. The city of Schofield City Council will meet on March 28. Its agenda has not yet been released.

Copyright 2023 WSAW. All rights reserved.