Last-Minute Seaside Heights Fireworks Postponement Causes Uproar

While many residents and tourists were watching fireworks in other Shore towns Saturday night, thousands of people who went to Seaside Heights to watch the borough’s Fourth of July display were left in the dark.

And now they’re furious.

According to a post on the borough’s Facebook page, the show had to be cancelled after the fireworks were swamped by a wave.

“Seaside Heights deeply regrets the inconvenience and disappointment caused by the cancellation of our July 4th Fireworks. The fireworks were set up closer to the surf than usual in an effort to satisfy state regs which require that spectators be maintained a specific distance (120 feet) from the fireworks. Unfortunately, the tide was higher and rougher than usual tonight and the fireworks were soaked by a wave that made it up to the 110’ mark. Wet fireworks = no fireworks,” the post stated, adding that beach erosion caused by Superstorm Sandy has made it very difficult to put on fireworks in the borough for the last three years.

A tweet by the borough at 9:18 p.m. Saturday night said the display has been rescheduled for tonight, July 5, at 9:30 p.m.

Commenters posting on the borough’s post are not cutting the town any slack, however.

“We drove all the way from York, PA today to watch the fireworks at Seaside Heights, only to get disappointed that they got cancelled. What a waste of a 3 hour trip,” wrote one man.

“Then you should stop advertising that you are having fireworks if it has been a challenge for 3 years now. This is the 3rd time in arow I have come to Seaside Heights to see fireworks, only to have them cancelled. Huge disappointment for the 4th,” another poster wrote.

“The pyrotechnic crew are suppose to be professionals.The tide just didn’t happen. After all the problems the town had last year with fireworks they should have planned better!” a woman wrote.

Others expressed frustration at paying $25 or $30 to park because they decided to go to Seaside to watch them, only to be disappointed:

“I get that it is just fireworks but for many it’s an American tradition on the 4th. We chose Seaside this year and were charged $25 to park because fireworks were scheduled. (We attempted the parking lot with the pay station but wasted so long standing in line because people couldn’t figure out how to use it). I still think it was a disappointment,” a woman wrote.

Part of what caused the uproar, apparently, was a delay in getting information to people who had come and were waiting to see them. Commenters said they sat on the beach for an hour waiting because word was slow to get around that they had been cancelled.

“You should have said something sooner if you were not going to have fireworks. I could have stayed in the Philly area to see fireworks,” a woman wrote.

On a post about the cancellation in the public Facebook group Seaside Heights Boardwalk, commenters said Seaside Heights’ fireworks displays were canceled repeatedly last summer because it was too windy to hold them safely.

A few people suggested the borough should put the display on a barge instead of on the sand or move the fireworks display to the bayside of town.

“I’ve seen other towns who do it and it can be very successful,” said one woman who suggested putting the fireworks on a barge. “There were so so many negative comments about seaside as we walked back home. That’s a lot of future revenue that this town so desperately needs to finish cleaning up and a past stereotype will be even harder to remove now that this happened.”

A number of people defended the town.

“I’m sure they weren’t happy that their 10’s of thousands of dollars of fireworks were ruined by one wave. Such is life. Be grateful for all of the moments you have had and not bitter about the one you missed. Life is too precious to stress about a fireworks display,” wrote one woman, who said she has been visiting Seaside Heights for 20 years.

“Seaside Heights and the Jersey Shore is my home away from home and having fireworks be cancelled because of something out (of) everyone’s control would never stop me from coming back. I’ve been going to Seaside every summer since I was born and have no intention of ever stopping!” wrote another.

(While revelers in other towns saw fireworks displays Saturday night, those who packed the beaches in Seaside Heights were left only with a moonlit sky. Credit: Karen Wall)