INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Organizers of a fireworks show that lights up downtown Indianapolis each July Fourth are looking for a new pyrotechnics launch site a year after the pandemic canceled the long-running event.
Downtown Indy needs to find a new location because longtime host Regions Tower announced Wednesday it could no longer allow the event from the 36-story building’s rooftop because the fireworks could pose a threat to new nearby residential developments.
The nonprofit said it was working to find a suitable downtown location from which to launch fireworks and was working with the Indianapolis Fire Department, other city officials and pyrotechnic professionals.
Downtown Indy said if it finds a new location, it would likely not host a large community viewing event because of social distancing rules. But residents would be able to watch from nearby spots.
Mayor Joe Hogsett said in a statement the city hopes “to restore our special tradition of July Fourth fireworks” that create a “spectacle” over the city’s downtown.
Downtown Indy is also looking for sponsors to help fund the fireworks, which were held for a half-century before last year’s cancelation prompted by the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, the event was managed by the Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications, which handed off the responsibility to Downtown Indy. The group said it would continue to work with Emmis as its media partner so future celebrations can still be synced to music via local radio.
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