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DeWitt board approves Canal Day fireworks and stage contracts, plans themed summer concerts
Summary
Town board authorized a $6,000 fireworks contract and a $1,000 stage rental, approved summer band lineup and summer-event planning aimed at boosting Canal Day attendance.
The DeWitt Town Board voted to authorize contracts and event plans for this year’s Canal Day, approving a $6,000 lump-sum fireworks contract and a $1,000 stage rental to host a series of concerts and the fireworks display on Aug. 16.
Board members said the event schedule will move later in August to avoid conflicts with summer camp and to help increase attendance. The board also approved contracts for a stage truck from Syracuse’s municipal stage fleet and moved forward with agreements for four of six summer bands, and a themed-week approach for the concert series.
The action matters because Canal Day is the town’s primary summer festival and the board said attendance and marketing have lagged in previous years. The board discussed using a stage parked in the lot so residents can sit on the lawn, and emphasized safety reasons for locating the stage away from the pavilion.
Officials said the fireworks vendor will deliver, set up and remove the display, and the stage vendor’s $1,000 fee covers pickup, delivery and setup. The recreation staff told the board that the date change to Aug. 16 was intended to boost turnout after a poor showing last year. The board also discussed complementary attractions—wagon rides, bounce houses (previously the most-attended attraction) and family-friendly programming designed to broaden the audience.
Board approval followed motions to authorize signing the fireworks contract, to hire the stage truck, and to accept the summer band lineup. Each motion passed with a voice vote recorded as "Aye" and "Motion's carried." No contested roll-call tallies were read into the record.
The recreation director said marketing for Canal Day would begin the following week and the town ordered bicentennial signage for the canal to coincide with the event.
Looking ahead, staff will finalize vendor logistics, insurance and marketing; the board asked staff to proceed with contracts and to continue planning themed weeks to attract wider attendance.
