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Council approves switch to downhill parade start and moves fireworks to Budweiser site for 250th planning
Summary
The council approved a plan to flip the Fourth of July parade to start at the high school and authorized moving the fireworks to an Anheuser-Busch site to ease traffic, shorten the route and improve the show; police supported the safety and traffic benefits.
The Merrimack Town Council on Nov. 13 approved changes to the towns Fourth of July parade route and fireworks location as recommended by the 250th anniversary committee.
Matt, the committee representative, proposed staging the parade at Merrimack High School and reversing the traditional route to shorten the walk for participants, reduce impacts on businesses and neighborhoods near the current start, and make the final segment downhill to ease crowd and participant fatigue. He also recommended relocating the fireworks from the high school to the Budweiser/Anheuser-Busch site (and evaluated alternate venues) to permit a larger, more visually consistent show with improved ingress, egress and shuttle options.
Deputy Chief (police deputy) told the council that the July 4 traffic this year produced near-gridlock and that moving staging and fireworks would substantially ease traffic-control challenges and improve emergency access. The committee said the different site configuration would allow more effective use of smaller shells and a larger overall show for similar cost, reduce the need for large shells to clear trees, and open opportunities for shuttle services, overflow parking agreements and vendor or VIP areas.
Councilors unanimously approved the route and the fireworks-site change by voice vote (7-0). The committee said it will coordinate parking, shuttle logistics, police details, mutual aid and any required permissions with property owners; Budweiser has already expressed interest in providing facilities and potentially hosting additional activities tied to the celebration.
What happens next: The committee will finalize traffic and safety plans with police and fire, seek property agreements for parking and staging, and begin fundraising and vendor outreach required to deliver the expanded program.
