Hartland Independence Day Committee's fireworks show moving to Somerset

Thomas Tedesco, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
·2 min read
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May 8—BARKER — The annual fireworks display arranged by the Hartland Independence Day Committee has a new home and a new date this year.

Somerset Town Park is the latest venue for the fireworks show that's been put on every July 4 in Royalton or Hartland for years, and the show will instead be held July 27 in conjunction with the Barker Corn Festival.

Matt Snell, member of the Hartland Independence Day Committee that organized the annual Independence Day celebration in Hartland Town Park since 2016, said his group is "joining forces" with the Barker Corn Festival following some difficulties in raising money to put on the Independence Day celebration this year. He hopes it will be able to return to Hartland next year, he added.

"We're going to work with each other and keep this going, because I feel like there's just too much work involved getting this going from day one, for this to go under," Snell said.

The family-friendly July 4 celebration came to Hartland Town Park from Royalton Ravine Park, and the Hartland Independence Day Committee has relied primarily on donations from local residents and businesses to pay for it. Snell said most of that money came in during the committee's annual Breakfast with Santa fundraiser, and a committee member's medical issue ultimately derailed the 2023 Breakfast with Santa.

"So that hurt us financially to the point where we almost had to pull the plug altogether, but the saving grace of it was the corn fest here in Somerset," Snell said.

The committee had been on the lookout for another existing event where they could at least have the fireworks show, which led them to Somerset.

"We asked if they could come down here and do them the night of the Corn Fest," town supervisor Jeff Dewart said.

Snell said that being responsible solely for the fireworks as opposed to a whole day's worth of events should cost about half of the $22,000 it took to execute the 2023 Independence Day celebration in Hartland.

"So they (Barker Corn Fest organizers) will be covering that end and we'll be covering the fireworks end, it's a perfect match," he said.