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The Port of Oswego Authority (POA), is again assisting Harborfest by providing mooring and operational support for the fireworks barge, said Thomas Schneider, interim executive director.
“It has been our pleasure to help Oswego’s premier waterfront festival by supporting the fireworks barge for many years,” Schneider said. “This 30-minute fireworks display synced to music is the undisputable highlight of the festival, and the Port commits its resources to ensuring that the launch platform is well accommodated.”
In addition to mooring, the port supplies equipment, labor for loading and unloading, and 24-hour security, said Patrick McMahon, POA supervisor of development and maintenance. “It takes a day and a half to load the barge,“ McMahon said, “And we use our pier side crane to load and unload after the fireworks exhibition.”
The fireworks show, sponsored by Pathfinder Bank, begins at 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 26. “Besides the barge, we also position fireworks launch sites along 1,500 feet of the port break wall,” said Dan Havens, chief pyrotechnician for Fireworks by Grucci. “There are literally thousands of fireworks in the show that provides an amazing half-hour of dazzling entertainment.”
Fireworks by Grucci hold Guiness World Records for the “Largest Fireworks Display” ever recorded and the “Largest Pyrotechnic Image,” according to www.grucci.com. Known as “America’s First Family of Fireworks,” Grucci has presented displays around the world since 1850. Among their signature performances are seven consecutive U.S. Presidential Inaugurations, Olympic Games in Beijing, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Lake Placid, plus commemorations of the Centennials of the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, and many more.
Oswego HarborFest has been offered as an admission-free festival for over 30 years and runs from Thursday, July 24 to Sunday, July 27. The Port of Oswego's strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market, puts them less than 350 miles from 60 million people.
