Wisconsin Rapids expands Fourth of July Freedom Fest with bigger lineup, added vendors and flyover

Mayor Matt Zacher said Wisconsin Rapids expanded its Fourth of July Freedom Fest this year, adding bands, vendors and family attractions and using additional fundraising to cover higher fireworks costs. The mayor told WFHR’s Melissa Kay that the city’s usual $25,000 allocation for fireworks was supplemented by donations and sponsorships to help preserve the size of the display.

"We'll have two bands going on... we'll have a kids zone, dunk tank, some games going on," Zacher said, describing the event layout and amenities meant to draw families downtown. He confirmed a planned flyover “somewhere in that time frame,” around 1:25 p.m., and credited Shawn Ryan and Parks and Recreation staff for arranging logistics.

Zacher said the fireworks vendor charged about $5,500 more than last year, a difference covered by the extra funds raised beyond the city’s baseline allocation. He asked residents to be responsible during the open-container period and to clean up afterward so city crews can restore the area efficiently.

The mayor also encouraged attendees to submit feedback after the event via the city website and said staff would consider a community survey to gather suggestions for future improvements. He pointed listeners to wirapids.gov and the site’s "notify me" feature for meeting and event updates.

The city emphasized that the changes aimed to broaden downtown’s appeal and build the event for future years; Zacher said continued community engagement and sponsorship support will determine how large the celebration grows.