The Batavia fireworks show, which was abruptly canceled on the Fourth of July, will be rescheduled for a date later this summer after experiencing a technological glitch Tuesday evening, organizers said.
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More than 3,000 people were in attendance for the fireworks show which was set to begin at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Susan Stark of the private Batavia Fireworks Committee said.
The fireworks are organized by the committee and the show is paid for by donations. Observation areas for the show were at Engstrom Park on Main Street at Millview Drive and the Batavia High School athletic practice fields between Main Street and West Wilson Street.
A pre-show test by the fireworks vendor Pyrotecnico was successful, but when it came time to start the show Tuesday, there was a computer failure.
“When I drove by on Monday, people had already staked their claim and had areas blocked off, so I understand why this is so disappointing,” Stark said of the show’s cancellation.
With the theme from “Top Gun” playing, people waited for the fireworks to start, and then nothing, Stark said. The vendor then tried to use a backup computer system and that also didn’t work.
“The system had worked flawlessly at a show the night before and during testing, so the operators were as surprised as the rest of us when it failed,” organizers wrote in a Facebook post.
Stark said anyone who understands the logistics of coordinating the event will understand why organizers are devastated by the turn of events.
“It’s not like we can say, ‘Hey let’s just do this tomorrow,'” she said.
Organizers now have to work with the park district, which they receive resources from for the show; the Batavia School District, whose field they use; and the Batavia police and fire departments to determine a new date for the fireworks.
“The committee is devastated,” Stark said. “This is a small group of only seven of us, so we take it to heart. Most of us have been on the committee for a long time and we know what all goes into getting ready for the Fourth of July so it was just crushing.”
People can check the committee’s website at bataviafireworks.org for updates concerning a new date for the fireworks.