Port, sponsors to light up Fourth of July sky

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 28, 2026

PORT ANGELES — Thanks to permission from the Port of Port Angeles and two large sponsors, the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce will be able to put on a fireworks show during this year’s Fourth of July event.

The port has granted the chamber permission to launch fireworks from its property in essentially the only spot along the Port Angeles harbor where fireworks are permissible, chamber Executive Director Marc Abshire said.

“It turns out there is no place to launch fireworks along the shoreline that is permittable except for one spot, and that one spot has been under construction for the last few years,” he said.

That spot is by the Valley Creek estuary, and it’s where the chamber launched fireworks from 2022-24.

The spot wasn’t available for the chamber last year because the port had a tenant there, Abshire said.

“It’s a proximity and access issue,” he said. “We took a look at Ediz Hook as an option, but that’s not an option because, when we put explosives on Ediz Hook, you can’t let any cars or people go by so all day. The Coast Guard facility would not be accessible. We can’t close that down.”

Every other location along the harbor is too close to buildings or people and doesn’t pass the fire code for explosives, he said.

Another issue the chamber has faced is that it’s expensive to put on a show, Abshire said.

This year, the cost — which is approaching $30,000 — is split pretty evenly between three sources: sponsors Astound Broadband and The World, a private residential ship scheduled to dock in Port Angeles on July 4, and an allocation of hotel/motel taxes awarded to the chamber for the event.

“No local tax dollars are going into paying for the fireworks, it’s all taxes charged to visitors that come to our town,” Abshire said. “It’s a positive thing, and it’s just great to have the support of Astound and The World.”

The chamber has always received hotel/motel taxes for the event, Abshire added.

“This being the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I think it’s really important for us to have a traditional fireworks show,” Abshire said. “As a retired military man, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is a big deal for me.”

For future shows, fireworks could present more of a problem, Abshire said.

The launching location near Valley Creek is possible for the next two years, but after that, the chamber might have to find a barge from which to launch fireworks. A barge was used from 2017-19, but that was donated to the chamber from a contractor at the port who is no longer there.

“Turns out, if you don’t own a barge, we have to borrow one or rent one,” Abshire said. “It’s expensive, and we have to get a crew to move the barge from the shore into the harbor, where it’s going to get anchored. And since we have a deep-water harbor, anchoring is a bit of a challenge. It requires we have a boat, preferably a tug, nearby to secure the barge and for contingencies. And when the fireworks are over, it has to be brought back to shore.”

Finding a crew to work on the Fourth of July is difficult and expensive as well.

“The price for fireworks is, pardon the pun, skyrocketing, and that’s partially due to the tariffs because a lot of fireworks come from China,” Abshire said. “We could do a lot more with this money than blow it on 30 minutes of fireworks for the Fourth of July.”

Abshire also mentioned a vocal group of people in Clallam County who are working to get all fireworks banned for a variety of reasons, including the stress put on pets.

The chamber has explored the idea of putting on a drone show rather than using fireworks, but the cost for such a show is steep, and if there’s too much wind, the show would have to be canceled because the drones wouldn’t be able to fly, Abshire said.

“It’s really important that we do it this year because it’s the 250th anniversary, but in the future, I’m not sure if it’s going to be justifiable,” Abshire said.

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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.