Public Independence Day fireworks are set to return to St. Paul this summer for the first time in years, as the St. Paul Rotary Club launches a new community celebration tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“We want to have fun like everyone, so we’re bringing fireworks back,” said Carolyn Will, a Rotary Club member helping lead the effort.
The event, called “Red, White & BOOM!,” is scheduled for July 4 at Cathedral Hill Park near the Cathedral of St. Paul, with fireworks planned at dusk overlooking downtown St. Paul.
The celebration marks a significant return for citywide public Fourth of July fireworks in St. Paul. In 2018, then-Mayor Melvin Carter ended the city’s annual municipal fireworks funding, citing other budget priorities. Since then, residents seeking large public Independence Day displays often traveled to Minneapolis or suburban celebrations.
The fireworks will be launched from the former chancery property owned by the cathedral. Organizers have reserved Cathedral Hill Park and North Cathedral Park, while St. Paul College plans to open its front lawn for spectators.
“There is a lot of parkland to watch the show,” Will said.
The evening will include eight food trucks along Dayton Avenue beginning at 6 p.m., free water provided by St. Paul Regional Water Services, free music inside the cathedral and a short program before the fireworks.
“Steven C, the pianist, is going to have a patriotic concert free at the cathedral at 7:30,” Will said. “Doors will be wide open with speakers going out to the park.”
“He’ll be playing traditional music, folk, bluegrass and patriotic songs,” she added. “That will be a lot of fun.”
John Ireland Boulevard between Selby and Dayton will be closed from 6 to 10:30 p.m. to create a pedestrian-friendly area around the celebration.
Organizers also hope to incorporate historical themes tied to the country’s founding and Minnesota’s early settlers.
“We are doing outreach to all these historical groups — any descendants of our Minnesota regiment who fought in the revolutionary war and helped us win the revolutionary war, along with descendants of early settlers,” Will said.
She said organizers hope the celebration will “lean into all those good values that we want to remember and protect and hold up.”
The Rotary Club is using the event both as a community gathering and as a way to highlight the organization’s work in St. Paul. Founded in 1910, the St. Paul club was the 10th Rotary club established worldwide and has supported local scholarships, nonprofit grants and youth programming for decades.
“We are people of action. We are all about community and bringing community together,” Will said. “We need something that unites us right now.”
The event remains heavily dependent on fundraising. According to organizers, the total cost is projected at about $125,000. The St. Paul Rotary Club Foundation has already contributed a substantial amount, along with volunteering to handle planning and logistics.
“St. Paul Rotary is hosting. We have put $20,000 in and all the leg work and volunteers,” Will said. “We are asking for additional support from the community and sponsors.”
“Rotary is happy to be hosting this community event at no-cost, but we need the community’s support,” she added.
Will said the fundraising campaign is currently about one-quarter of the way toward its goal. Donations of $30 or more include a commemorative T-shirt designed by University of Minnesota student Ezra Young, a descendant of Declaration of Independence signer Lewis Morris.
People can donate and find event information through the St. Paul Rotary Club’s Red, White & BOOM! page.
If you go:
St. Paul Rotary Red White and Booom
Cathedral Hill Park- 215 Summit Ave.
6 – 10:30 p.m. with a brief presentation at 9 p.m. and fireworks at dusk.
Find more details at stpaulrotary.org/event/red-white—boom.
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