The city of Buffalo has sparked controversy in its decision to not host a fireworks display this Fourth of July, America’s 250th birthday.
Speaking for the first time on it Wednesday, Mayor Sean Ryan claimed the city did have a vendor, and a sponsor in Russell Salvatore, but when it came to a location to set them off safely, the city struggled identifying one.
However, next month, Canalside, in partnership with Erie County, will host a big America 250 event with fireworks on Aug. 2.
Ryan was asked why Canalside would be a safe and logical place downtown to host that event in a month if it wasn’t safe to play host this Saturday.
“They are setting those off from a barge in the river, so they don’t have to worry about debris falling. I didn’t want to do them on a barge in the river because they are already doing that Aug. 2. I wanted to be able to do them downtown as a way to bring people into downtown. That is our goal,” he said.
Ryan adds it was a goal of his to bring a fireworks display back to the city for the Fourth of July because the city hasn’t hosted one in decades.