In Illinois, only 713 individuals are licensed to display fireworks, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. And, despite the annual booming Fourth of July display that lights up over Winnemac Park in Lincoln Square every year, none of them are likely there.
Every Fourth of July, the city of Chicago erupts with countless sanctioned and unsanctioned fireworks shows, some carried out by professionals, but many more by unlicensed amateurs. It’s a tradition both loved, and hated, by neighbors in communities across Chicago.
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“Dogs and sports teams and nature parks and fireworks can all coexist, being tolerant of each other,” said Joshua Hoyt, 66, who lives near Winnemac Park. “And I don’t think that anybody should get uptight about the fact that one day a year, there’s a community firework celebration in the park.”
But not all neighbors of the sprawling 22-acre park, home to baseball diamonds, playgrounds, nature areas and schools, are in agreement. The annual, unorganized fireworks show, which typically starts at sundown and ends in the late night hours with a hazy smoke settled over surrounding streets, draws crowds of people from both the neighborhood and outside of it.
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“Why do we have to, one day a year, not only disrupt all of the nature that coexists in that park — but it makes a mess, it’s dangerous, there are people with PTSD,” said Marian Nixon, 61, who lives two blocks away from the park. “It’s scary to kids, it’s scary to dogs, and it’s scary to veterans.”
She said she has never attended the event herself: “I don’t want to get my head blown off.”
Ald. Andre Vasquez, whose 40th Ward oversees Winnemac Park, said that the Chicago Park District has been reticent about adding turf to a soccer field and the outfield of baseball diamonds in his ward because of the damage the turf sustains from fireworks every year. Park District spokeswoman Michele Lemons confirmed the district received a request for both fields.
“Thinking about the impact, over the long term, of what this event has on the neighborhood, it’s something people should consider,” Vasquez said, referring to the Winnemac Park fireworks display.
He also mentioned children, older citizens and those with post-traumatic stress disorder who might be disturbed by the loud noises of the explosives.
“Although I understand that people want to celebrate, I would ask that they be more considerate and mindful in how they do so, so we can all celebrate together,” Vasquez said.
Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th, said he didn’t like fireworks as a kid, liked them less when he became a firefghter, and likes them even less now that he’s an alderman. He often spends Independence Day riding with police officers to rein in the pyrotechnics.
“They have no respect for their neighborhood, the dog, veterans, anybody,” he said. “They don’t clean up. They wreck parks. They wreck schools.”
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Illegal fireworks rage across all parts of the city, the Northwest Side alderman said. When people are caught shooting fireworks — which he described as “house-shaking aerial bombs — he and police ask them to leave. They don’t arrest them, he said, because it would take too much time. The focus, he said, is getting displays off of schools and parks, where fireworks often leave larges messes and damage fields.
One year, he shut down an annual fire display at a park in his ward.
“People were pissed off at me, but I could care less,” he said. “It’s illegal. It’s wrong. It’s not safe.”
Nixon, who owns Marvin, an 8-month-old puggle, said she’s concerned about dogs being scared, but mostly about the danger fireworks pose to people and to nature.
“It’s gonna take, like, some child getting her hand popped off before it’s gonna stop,” she said.
But other argue that the Winnemac Park’s fireworks show is tradition.
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“It does seem to be part of urban living, and people should just relax and understand that that’s the way it has been, is, and probably will be for an awfully long time,” said Hoyt, who owns a 5-year-old labradoodle named Harry.
Vasquez said his office has considered setting up a safe, sanctioned fireworks show in his ward. But that will likely not happen this year, since they haven’t been able to fundraise for the $65,000 they’d need.
“Well, they had a year,” Nixon said in response. “I mean, July 4 — you know what I mean? It happens every year.”
The Park District released a statement reminding citizens not to use rockets, crackers, torpedoes and fireworks in district parks, a policy enforced by park security and police. It also said it will activate ball-field lighting near artificial turf fields, trees and natural areas where fireworks can cause damage.
“We urge the public to help keep park patrons and employees safe and to protect our parks from damage by refraining from using fireworks and other explosive devices in our parks,” the statement reads.
The IDNR and the Office of the State Fire Marshal also urged people to leave fireworks displays to licensed professionals.
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“Anyone possessing, using, transferring or purchasing display fireworks without a valid IDNR individual explosives license or storage certificate is violating Illinois law and could incur penalties,” they reminded the public on Thursday.
Violating the Illinois Explosives Act, they said, can be considered a class 3 felony. Penalties include five years in prison and a fine of $10,000.
“Fireworks are illegal in this city. They’re illegal. That’s the bottom line,” Nixon said. “So, I have been pissed about it for years. I’m not wanting to rain on anyone’s parade, but go downtown if you want to watch fireworks. Go to the lakefront if you want.”
Chicago and neighboring communities will offer over 76 firework shows throughout the weekend.
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