New Canaan committee books 2026 fireworks, finalizes vendors and ticketing plans

The Family Fourth Committee in New Canaan confirmed this week that it has contracted fireworks for the July 2026 celebration and moved forward on vendor, merchandise and ticketing plans.

Tom Stadler, ex officio of the Family Fourth Committee (emeritus), told the committee, “We were successful this week in lining up the fireworks for July 2026 on Saturday night,” and said the group secured an operator they have worked with for decades.

The committee chair, David Shrades, and John Powell, director of Parks and Recreation for New Canaan, discussed other logistics including vendor commitments, entertainment and ticket sales. Committee members reported 13 food trucks and three dessert trucks committed so far; vendors named in the meeting included MELT Mobile and Cinnabon Mini. Scott Floyd reported bands and an emcee had been secured for the stage and lighting.

Why it matters: the committee is trying to shift more ticket sales earlier in the season, reduce day-of congestion and improve accessibility. Members said earlier pass sales make budgeting and staging easier and reduce the last-minute rush that traditionally accounts for the bulk of sales.

Ticketing and sales Committee members discussed continuing advance sales and enabling remote credit-card purchases. The group discussed using tablets and mobile card readers rather than upgrading fixed municipal terminals; committee members estimated credit-card processing fees at about 3 percent. Historically, attendees buy heavily in the final week before the event; one member said about 70 percent of passes sell in the week before the celebration.

The meeting covered pricing and pass fulfillment. Committee members referenced an advance pass price of $35 and a day-of price of $40, with the committee considering keeping the same structure. The committee also discussed printing and mailing passes bought online and a policy used in past years that passes are valid for the following year if an event is canceled.

Branding, merchandise and publicity Members are developing an event logo and considering whether to rename the gathering — historically known as the “Family Fourth” — to incorporate the town name (examples discussed: “New Canaan Fireworks” or “New Canaan Fourth Fireworks”). Maria Weingartner and Sue Holland are leading logo and marketing work and expect a marketing plan by April 22, the committee said. The committee discussed a limited on-site point-of-sale merchandise program (hats, T-shirts) rather than a large online store.

Volunteers, passes and fundraising The committee discussed how many complimentary passes to allocate to volunteers and partner organizations. No formal cap was adopted; members debated balancing volunteer needs against keeping paid passes available. The committee also discussed soliciting donations and issuing thank-you letters that donors could use for tax purposes if appropriate for their circumstances.

Accessibility and site logistics Committee members raised concerns about the number and placement of accessible (handicap) restrooms. The committee said the current number of accessible units has sometimes been insufficient and discussed moving units closer to main activity areas while preventing general-use crowding. Planning topics also included restroom supplies, signage, parking/entrance locations, staging, and logistics for merchandise and food-truck placement.

Next steps Committee members will: finalize logo options and a marketing plan by late April, confirm ticketing/credit-card solutions with town IT, continue vendor recruitment and band/stage logistics, and review the number and placement of accessible restrooms. No formal motions or votes were recorded at the meeting.

The committee closed by scheduling follow-up work on marketing, ticketing and accessibility and opened the floor for additional questions.