Music and fireworks will highlight Independence Day celebrations in Ridgefield.
“We’re set to go. All we need is the cooperation of mother nature,” said First Selectman Rudy Marconi.
Two free concerts — Texas singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves at 5 today in Ballard Park, and pianists Alan Tripp and Scott Griffin on Sunday at 4 in the First Congregational Church — will sandwich the main event: picnicking and fireworks at the fields around Ridgefield High School tonight (Thursday).
“We’re expecting a large draw, as we always do,” said Tom O’Grady, chairman of the Family Fourth Committee, which has been staging Independence Day fireworks shows for 17 years now.
The gates at Ridgefield High School’s fields will open at 6 for picnicking, and the fireworks will start after the fall of dark — about 9:30.
Parking for the fireworks is $15 a car at both the on-site lots around the high school and Scotts Ridge Middle School, and at the off-site parking area at Barlow Mountain and Scotland Elementary Schools, where shuttle buses will start taking people to the fireworks site at 6:30.
Saturday is a possible rain date for the fireworks.
The forecast is for perfect weather. However, if weather is questionable, announcements of a postponement will be posted after about 3:30 Thursday on The Press website, www.TheRidgefieldPress.com, and the town website, www.Ridgefieldct.org. News of a postponement will also be sent out on by The Press via Twitter.
If late developments in the weather necessitate a change in plans after people have gathered for the event — as happened last year — announcements will be made on the public address systems at the high school fields, and officials say communication will be better organized.
“There’s three-plus thousand people up there and it’s quite noisy,” Mr. Marconi said. “But if you see lightning off in the distance, begin to listen for announcements.”
The high school building will be opened — if needed — to shelter people, like last year.
Police and fire police will be handling crowds.
“All of them will be told exactly what the plan will be,” Mr. Marconi said.
Today’s Slaid Cleaves concert is part of the CHIRP (Concert Happenings in Ridgefield Parks) series, but has been scheduled early.
“The concert is at 5, and not at 7, so that people can then get to the fireworks,” said CHIRP organizer Barbara Manners.
Mr. Cleaves’ “alternative country” or an “Americana” music is popular, she said.
“Slaid is the artist that I most frequently hear about, from people who’ve been to CHIRP concerts. When I don’t bring him for a year I get all these upset e-mails.”
In the event of bad weather Thursday afternoon, Slaid Cleaves’ concert will be relocated to The Ridgefield Playhouse.
Sunday’s patriotic-themed piano concert by Alan Tripp and Scott Griffin, called Americana A-Blazing, is at 4 at the First Congregational Church, and part of its free Fountain Music Series.
The fireworks and picnicking at the high school fields have been an annual event since 1997, when the Family Fourth Committee revived a town tradition that had expired years before.
The $15 parking passes have been on sale some weeks, but people who didn’t get them can pay cash at the parking to entrances.
“Please bring exact change,” Mr. O’Grady said.
The event costs about $48,000, he said, and costs are covered by the parking passes and the two major sponsors, Fairfield County Bank and Pepsi.
People are welcome to bring blankets, chairs, and food, which will also be sold.
Vendors working the site will include: the Zwack Shack (hamburgers, hot dogs); Chez Lenard (hot dogs with all trimmings, drinks, chips, candy, cookies); Cones for College (ice cream, drinks); Circus Man, (ice cream, bottled water, Gatorade, soda); and New England Novelty (children’s novelties, hats, light-ups, stuffed animals).
Farifield County Bank and Pepsi will offer give-aways and samples.
Music will be provided on both the upper and lower fields by Sound Investment.
“They’ve been with us from the beginning. They send two DJs,” said Debbie Roche of the Family Fourth Committee.
The DJs try to get kids involved in games, limbo contests and the like while waiting for the fireworks, she said.
Popular music is played beforehand. During the display, the DJ’s play a CD provided by the fireworks company, Pyrotechnics, with patriotic music chosen to go with the show in the sky.
Fire Chief Heather Burford heads the decision-making on whether to postpone.
“The fire marshal, myself, Rudy Marconi and the fireworks shooter meet at 3 p.m. on Thursday and we’ll take a look at the weather,” Chief Burford said. “Once the show starts to get loaded at about 3:30, we own it — meaning they cannot take the shells out unless they’re lit and shot off.”
She said organizers have tried to learn from last year’s problems — when many people waited out a storm in their cars or took shelter in the high school, then saw the fireworks display, but others went home and missed the show
“A lightning storm moved into the area,” she said. “We knew this cell was approaching our location, based on its movement and its trajectory towards our location, the decision was made to evacuate the fields and to postpone the fireworks.
“Although we tried to have a unified communication about the postponement of the fireworks, that was not made clear to all the residents or all the event-goers,” she said.
“So, this year, we’re going to harden that policy. We’re going to make these decisions, hopefully, a little sooner, and be very clear in our communications.”
“As always, safety is our primary focus,” First Selectman Marconi said. “But we’re hoping for good weather and none of that will be a necessary. And the fireworks promise to be a good show.”