Fortuna Fireworks Festival
The 11th Annual Fortuna Fireworks Festival
As Fortuna celebrates the 11th anniversary of the Fortuna Fireworks Festival we will continue to honor our founder, Dennis Wendt.
Dennis Wendt's vision for the Fortuna Fireworks Festival was simple; he wanted to make sure that kids in the community could enjoy the festivities even if their parents couldn’t afford to buy fireworks. Dennis wanted families to be able to come celebrate our nation’s freedom, regardless of cost, and he enjoyed seeing the smiles on the faces of kids and adults alike. The all-volunteer organizers’ mission is to provide the community with an affordable family friendly patriotic event.
The Fortuna Fireworks Festival is only made possible by the generous donations from the community through sponsorship's allowing the kids activities to stay incredibly affordable, to pay for the fireworks, and all other costs associated with putting on the event.
Many locals will forever have fond memories of Dennis laughing to tears watching the pie eating contest and smiling while he watched the kids run around enjoying the event with friends. Please remove your hats with us and celebrate the wonderful gift to the community that is the Fortuna Fireworks Festival!
Event Details:
Celebrate Independence Day a little early in Friendly Fortuna on Wednesday, July 3rd from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm. An evening full of low-cost Family Fun is scheduled to take place at this year’s eleventh annual Fortuna Fireworks Festival. The festival includes a BBQ, Music, Fireworks, Vendors, an apple pie eating contest and tons of kid’s activities.
Fortuna invites the public to come out and celebrate Independence Day without the usual festival price tag. The festival is free to attend. For kids wanting to enjoy the entertainment they must be accompanied by an adult and have a parent or guardian sign a liability waiver in exchange for a $5 wristband that allows unlimited activities on two huge fields from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Wrist band activities will include 15 bounce houses, Shriners clowns and balloon art, Nature Joe will have a reptile petting zoo with all things creepy & crawly, and 4-H will have an array of critters to see. The Fortuna Fire Department will be hosting their popular kids Firemen style challenges on the grass and doing rides around the park on their mini firetruck. Come enjoy the field of inflatables! There will be huge body bumper balls and hop ball races. DJ Ryan with Tah-Dah Productions will be there spinning tunes throughout the event. As dark falls it’s time for a light show that kicks off the biggest outdoor dance party on the North Coast to entertain the crowd before the fireworks.
The Annual apple pie eating contest will start at 7:00 pm in front of the main stage. Fortuna businesses, service clubs and community groups will have an opportunity to eat a whole pie, full face in, for the trophy made and donated by Cindy at Ferndale Jewelers.
Various vendors will be on hand to sell their products as well as sweet treats like cotton candy, cupcakes, fresh-made mini donuts, shaved ice and more.
A Family BBQ from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm will be put on by the Native Sons of the Golden West. This year’s menu will include tender seasoned Tri-Tip plates with potato salad, watermelon, corn on the cob and a dinner roll and will be available for $10 each. Kids can enjoy a hot dog plate with chips and watermelon for $5. Make your dinner plans now and help support the event. A beer booth serving Fortuna Eel River Brewery selections will also be on tap with all proceeds going towards the cost of the event.
Fireworks will start at dark. Parking is available on Rohnerville Road just past Newburg Park in the McLean Field. The fireworks festival is requesting a $5 donation to help with the cost of the fireworks, but no one will be turned away if they choose not to donate. Because of the festivities, there will be no general parking in the Newburg Parking lot. Handicap parking is available in both the McLean lot as well as along the fence line behind EPT.
Everyone is encouraged to bring your own chairs, blanket, or sit in the bleachers. Feel free to bring your own legal fireworks, but for everyone’s safety, they must be lit on the pavement, behind the stage in the main parking lot. Please no lighting them in any grass areas due to the large volume of small children. We are also not allowing hot BBQs or pets into the event.
We ask all those who attend the event to please use the provided garbage cans and recycling receptacles and to help by cleaning up any trash they bring in order to keep the park beautiful.
So please join us in the Friendly City as we light up the Eel River Valley skies and celebrate our Country’s Independence Day.
For more information email fortunafireworks@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook!
DATES/TIMES
WHERE
PRICE
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Free
/ $5 Parking
/ $5 Kids wristband
