The non-fireworks display
As I mentioned briefly before, our fireworks show fizzled. Here is more to the story.
This goes back a couple years. Laura and her family came out this way for fireworks that year, ended up in Batavia, and really enjoyed the show...but not so much the slow slog on trying to drive back home--she said it took an hour and a half to get out of the parking lot--especially since they weren't back living in the area at the time. I mentioned, hey, my house is within walking distance, maybe you can come over here and we can go over together. And then that winter, my parents got an invite to a 4th of July party, meaning they'd be out of the house and I could "sneak" Laura's family over.
Then July 2022 actually happened. The party my parents were invited to was never mentioned again, Laura's car suffered a serious breakdown on the way back from a roadtrip and they were stranded downstate, and then the day of, the Highland Park shooting took place, and nobody was up for celebrating. I had a boring night at home.
This year, things were relatively normal for the first time in years, and I now know a youngster who is eager to watch fireworks. You know, let's do this. The house got cleaned in a way it hasn't in months, so right there, that was great. Dad was prepared to cook for them, but I know there are dietary restrictions in their family so Laura politely declined. For some reason I wasn't expecting them to want to get going right away; otherwise I would have used the bathroom and put on my shoes before they arrived about 7:30. As it was, we did hang out and talk a little bit, and Munchkin took a few laps around the downstairs, and after I hosed myself with Off, we were on our way, with my father staying home. Shout out to my neighbors who left their recycling tote right in the middle of the sidewalk to block any and all walkers.
The walk is a pretty decent one, about 20 minutes, but once we're out of the subdivision it's a straight shot to the high school. Munchkin saw kids playing soccer on the high school field and immediately wanted to join them--she is more into soccer than dancing, as it turns out--but we convinced her to keep going to the park where all the food booths were. We set out our chairs and blankets and then Laura and my mom and Munchkin went out in search of treats. It wasn't long before Laura texted her husband to come get Munchkin; she had no patience for the lines. Plural. Because Laura went to get them shave ice, which had one long line for paying, then a second long line for pickup. My mom ended up with a coconut ice cream bar from a much-shorter line plus a random cinnamon roll from the pizza booth, which had run out of pizza. Meanwhile, I remembered that I had a package of glowsticks left over from camp and broke them out. Three of them broke themselves, cracking open after they were curved around into bracelets. Boo. And only one of them appeared to glow at all, which was a big bummer. So...lesson to everyone...don't wait seven years to use your glowsticks.
Now, we were concerned about our view, as we were partly obscured by trees. We were toward the north end of the park, by the church; we weren't even that close to a speaker, which is totally fine by me. I know the Batavia Community Band was farther down; I couldn't see them, but I could hear them, and mom was going, you can *hear* that? She had no idea. Like, seriously, mom, your hearing is not as pristine as you keep insisting it is. I almost wonder if she has an auditory processing disorder. There was also something weird with people's cell phones. Laura's husband noticed he was on "SOS" mode. I would later hear at least one other person mention that; we all figured it was in part due to the sheer number of people in close proximity to each other.
The band finished, and there was a bit of time to go, wherein Munchkin was eating her shave ice and dropping bits of it. She'd chosen to sit on the blanket with mom and me, and therefore dropped colorful bits of ice on it. Eh, it's full of grass anyway. It'll get washed. This blanket has seen a few things. Next year, though, chairs. I could barely get up off the ground, and mom had to ask for my help to pull her up--does she not understand she has to do her part in pushing herself up? Oy. So, yeah, chairs will be more ideal, if less easy to carry.
There was a funny moment. The food truck closest to us had these super bright white lights trimming the truck; I know we were asking if they'd be turned off before the show started. No joke, as soon as they did finally turn the lights off, the crowd let out a cheer. Thank goodness. It was major light pollution.
The time comes. I hear the familiar music that's used at the start and finish of every fireworks show, then the Star-Spangled Banner got played. At this point I'm programmed to sing along to it; Munchkin kept asking me, what are you doing? Why are you doing that? I just kept singing. Then the Top Gun theme started...and nothing happened. Again, with the trees partially blocking our view, it was potentially feasible that we weren't seeing some of it, but at the same time we'd at least hear it if we didn't see it. Nothing. It was really weird, considering how it's called the Sky Concert, so the fireworks are timed to the music. We started to see something red, low to the ground, just before the guy came on the PA system to announce the cancellation. Wild. Upsetting. We had a tearful 7-year-old in our midst, crying because we'd come all this way for nothing. I think it was my mom who said she'd overheard a guy saying he'd been there for six hours. As we walked back, we saw the sign for parking; it was a donation of $10 to park in the high school lot. Imagine paying that money for the privilege of not seeing the show.
The walk home was not as expected, either, since the police weren't really prepared for everyone to start moving a half-hour early. Traffic was still being let through on Wilson Street, so we had to wait to cross, and then Western wasn't closed off and there wasn't an officer at McKee. By that point, Munchkin and I had gotten separated from our parents--mom, Laura, and her husband had been walking slower and ended up a bit behind us. There was a reason: A large shave ice plus a child-size bladder equaled a little girl who REALLY had to go. Uh-oh. I was perfectly happy to walk as fast as we could to get her home as soon as possible, but we got stuck behind a group of people, including someone walking a bike, so that we couldn't go as fast as I would've liked. I didn't want her walking in the grass in the dark. Once we got into the subdivision--and the group mercifully went left, while we went right--we started running, with me praying the sidewalk was level so she wouldn't trip. That's all we'd need. Laura's house rule is to remove shoes as soon as you come inside, and Munchkin is well-trained for that. Knowing how badly she had to go, I told her she could keep her shoes on, but as soon as she got in the house she pulled them off. She did end up not shutting the door, though, so that was her concession. ...I'm going to wait for you around the corner in the family room, dear. Much relieved, she came into the family room and was bouncing around while talking to my dad, who'd been texted about the situation. It was about five minutes later when the others showed up, so good, they made it back. What was hilarious was that the conversation for at least half of our walk back was Munchkin talking about how much she had to go, alternating with wanting to talk to me when we got back to the house, not knowing that a) we could easily talk right then and there, and b) her parents were not planning to socialize after and would be going home almost immediately. Oh well. Aside from the disappointment, we had a good time, and I think we'll do it again. Once she calmed down from what happened, Munchkin was raring to come back next year.
As for what happened, here's the explanation from the official Batavia Fireworks Fund website:
2023 Batavia Fireworks
The unthinkable happened last night. The fireworks failed to go off. So many people gathered in their chosen viewing locations waiting. At 9:30, the theme from Top Gun started playing and then…..nothing. Our pyrotechnics contractors’ system failed to launch. They quickly divert to the back up system. Nothing.
Thank you so much for sticking with us. It was uncomfortable and mortifying for the committee. A year’s worth of planning and it did not go up in smoke.
The good news? We still have have the rest of the summer to replan and reorganize.
The bad news? We feel horrible about what happened. We will make it up to you on a date to be determined. Please check back often for updates (and on social and traditional media, too).
Thank you so much for all your contributions both big and little. We couldn’t put on this show without the generous donations of our businesses, citizens, citizens from other towns (yes, even GENEVA), etc. None of the fireworks are paid for by city funds. They provide us with Police and Fire (and we thank them for that).
Stay tuned!
More internet stuff
From the Patch:
Batavia Fireworks To Be Rescheduled This Summer After Computer Crash
The committee that organizes the annual July 4 display says a system used by the pyrotechnics company failed after working Monday night.
Jeff Arnold, Patch Staff
Posted Wed, Jul 5, 2023 at 8:31 am CT|Updated Wed, Jul 5, 2023 at 12:26 pm CT
The City of Batavia is seeking answers from a local group that raises funds each year for the July 4 fireworks show as to why Tuesday's festivities were canceled at the last minute.
BATAVIA, IL - Batavia residents hoping to enjoy a July 4 tradition on Tuesday night were left disappointed after the city’s annual fireworks show was canceled at the last minute without much explanation from officials.
The show was called off on Tuesday night, with officials announcing the last-minute cancelation in a social media post.
“The Batavia Fireworks and Sky Concert is produced each year by a group of volunteers who raise donations throughout the year to fund the show,” reads a post on the city’s Facebook page that was written around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. “We are awaiting word from the organizers about what went wrong and if there will be a reschedule of tonight’s show.”
On Wednesday morning, the city posted an update saying it is working with local fireworks organizers to reschedule the show. However, city officials said that the display would not take place on Wednesday night and that the city expected to have further information on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Susan Stark of the Batavia Fireworks Committee told Patch in an email that the fireworks were just getting ready to start when the committee's chairman, Mark Davis, announced that the show would not go on. Stark said that she was told the computer system crashed and its backup system also failed, forcing the cancellation of the show. The computer system is not internet or cloud-based, officials said.
Stark told Patch in an email that the company that provides the fireworks show said that it used the same computer system it did 24 hours earlier at another site, where the system worked fine. She said that cell phone outages at the site in Batavia on Tuesday night did not affect the computer system or cause the failure, and that city officials are working to reschedule the show for later this summer.
Stark said that city officials met on Wednesday morning with other members of the organizing committee and representatives from the pyrotechnics company that was to have put on the show about what led to the cancelation of Tuesday's fireworks show.
In looking for stories online, I even came across a Reddit thread about it, plus a set of comments about the cell service:
r/ChicagoSuburbs•3 days ago
by Aimnpispol
Anyone know why the Batavia fireworks were cancelled last minute?
I’m sure it was a safety thing to do it last minute like that. It’s a bummer, but no one should blow off their hand just because it is the 4th and there’s a crowd.
xgrimes•3 days ago
Not sure if it’s true but I heard there was an issue with the server network (Verizon?) that controls the show remotely and they couldn’t get it to work at the last minute, and the fire department wouldn’t allow them to be set off manually. It was a bummer, but I’m holding out hope that it will maybe be rescheduled!
Aimnpispol•3 days ago
I have Verizon for my cell service and was on SOS while we were waiting for the show last night so clearly they were having issues. I hope they reschedule also.
Mom also saw a story on Channel 5 about it, but I wasn't able to find anything online.
This goes back a couple years. Laura and her family came out this way for fireworks that year, ended up in Batavia, and really enjoyed the show...but not so much the slow slog on trying to drive back home--she said it took an hour and a half to get out of the parking lot--especially since they weren't back living in the area at the time. I mentioned, hey, my house is within walking distance, maybe you can come over here and we can go over together. And then that winter, my parents got an invite to a 4th of July party, meaning they'd be out of the house and I could "sneak" Laura's family over.
Then July 2022 actually happened. The party my parents were invited to was never mentioned again, Laura's car suffered a serious breakdown on the way back from a roadtrip and they were stranded downstate, and then the day of, the Highland Park shooting took place, and nobody was up for celebrating. I had a boring night at home.
This year, things were relatively normal for the first time in years, and I now know a youngster who is eager to watch fireworks. You know, let's do this. The house got cleaned in a way it hasn't in months, so right there, that was great. Dad was prepared to cook for them, but I know there are dietary restrictions in their family so Laura politely declined. For some reason I wasn't expecting them to want to get going right away; otherwise I would have used the bathroom and put on my shoes before they arrived about 7:30. As it was, we did hang out and talk a little bit, and Munchkin took a few laps around the downstairs, and after I hosed myself with Off, we were on our way, with my father staying home. Shout out to my neighbors who left their recycling tote right in the middle of the sidewalk to block any and all walkers.
The walk is a pretty decent one, about 20 minutes, but once we're out of the subdivision it's a straight shot to the high school. Munchkin saw kids playing soccer on the high school field and immediately wanted to join them--she is more into soccer than dancing, as it turns out--but we convinced her to keep going to the park where all the food booths were. We set out our chairs and blankets and then Laura and my mom and Munchkin went out in search of treats. It wasn't long before Laura texted her husband to come get Munchkin; she had no patience for the lines. Plural. Because Laura went to get them shave ice, which had one long line for paying, then a second long line for pickup. My mom ended up with a coconut ice cream bar from a much-shorter line plus a random cinnamon roll from the pizza booth, which had run out of pizza. Meanwhile, I remembered that I had a package of glowsticks left over from camp and broke them out. Three of them broke themselves, cracking open after they were curved around into bracelets. Boo. And only one of them appeared to glow at all, which was a big bummer. So...lesson to everyone...don't wait seven years to use your glowsticks.
Now, we were concerned about our view, as we were partly obscured by trees. We were toward the north end of the park, by the church; we weren't even that close to a speaker, which is totally fine by me. I know the Batavia Community Band was farther down; I couldn't see them, but I could hear them, and mom was going, you can *hear* that? She had no idea. Like, seriously, mom, your hearing is not as pristine as you keep insisting it is. I almost wonder if she has an auditory processing disorder. There was also something weird with people's cell phones. Laura's husband noticed he was on "SOS" mode. I would later hear at least one other person mention that; we all figured it was in part due to the sheer number of people in close proximity to each other.
The band finished, and there was a bit of time to go, wherein Munchkin was eating her shave ice and dropping bits of it. She'd chosen to sit on the blanket with mom and me, and therefore dropped colorful bits of ice on it. Eh, it's full of grass anyway. It'll get washed. This blanket has seen a few things. Next year, though, chairs. I could barely get up off the ground, and mom had to ask for my help to pull her up--does she not understand she has to do her part in pushing herself up? Oy. So, yeah, chairs will be more ideal, if less easy to carry.
There was a funny moment. The food truck closest to us had these super bright white lights trimming the truck; I know we were asking if they'd be turned off before the show started. No joke, as soon as they did finally turn the lights off, the crowd let out a cheer. Thank goodness. It was major light pollution.
The time comes. I hear the familiar music that's used at the start and finish of every fireworks show, then the Star-Spangled Banner got played. At this point I'm programmed to sing along to it; Munchkin kept asking me, what are you doing? Why are you doing that? I just kept singing. Then the Top Gun theme started...and nothing happened. Again, with the trees partially blocking our view, it was potentially feasible that we weren't seeing some of it, but at the same time we'd at least hear it if we didn't see it. Nothing. It was really weird, considering how it's called the Sky Concert, so the fireworks are timed to the music. We started to see something red, low to the ground, just before the guy came on the PA system to announce the cancellation. Wild. Upsetting. We had a tearful 7-year-old in our midst, crying because we'd come all this way for nothing. I think it was my mom who said she'd overheard a guy saying he'd been there for six hours. As we walked back, we saw the sign for parking; it was a donation of $10 to park in the high school lot. Imagine paying that money for the privilege of not seeing the show.
The walk home was not as expected, either, since the police weren't really prepared for everyone to start moving a half-hour early. Traffic was still being let through on Wilson Street, so we had to wait to cross, and then Western wasn't closed off and there wasn't an officer at McKee. By that point, Munchkin and I had gotten separated from our parents--mom, Laura, and her husband had been walking slower and ended up a bit behind us. There was a reason: A large shave ice plus a child-size bladder equaled a little girl who REALLY had to go. Uh-oh. I was perfectly happy to walk as fast as we could to get her home as soon as possible, but we got stuck behind a group of people, including someone walking a bike, so that we couldn't go as fast as I would've liked. I didn't want her walking in the grass in the dark. Once we got into the subdivision--and the group mercifully went left, while we went right--we started running, with me praying the sidewalk was level so she wouldn't trip. That's all we'd need. Laura's house rule is to remove shoes as soon as you come inside, and Munchkin is well-trained for that. Knowing how badly she had to go, I told her she could keep her shoes on, but as soon as she got in the house she pulled them off. She did end up not shutting the door, though, so that was her concession. ...I'm going to wait for you around the corner in the family room, dear. Much relieved, she came into the family room and was bouncing around while talking to my dad, who'd been texted about the situation. It was about five minutes later when the others showed up, so good, they made it back. What was hilarious was that the conversation for at least half of our walk back was Munchkin talking about how much she had to go, alternating with wanting to talk to me when we got back to the house, not knowing that a) we could easily talk right then and there, and b) her parents were not planning to socialize after and would be going home almost immediately. Oh well. Aside from the disappointment, we had a good time, and I think we'll do it again. Once she calmed down from what happened, Munchkin was raring to come back next year.
As for what happened, here's the explanation from the official Batavia Fireworks Fund website:
2023 Batavia Fireworks
The unthinkable happened last night. The fireworks failed to go off. So many people gathered in their chosen viewing locations waiting. At 9:30, the theme from Top Gun started playing and then…..nothing. Our pyrotechnics contractors’ system failed to launch. They quickly divert to the back up system. Nothing.
Thank you so much for sticking with us. It was uncomfortable and mortifying for the committee. A year’s worth of planning and it did not go up in smoke.
The good news? We still have have the rest of the summer to replan and reorganize.
The bad news? We feel horrible about what happened. We will make it up to you on a date to be determined. Please check back often for updates (and on social and traditional media, too).
Thank you so much for all your contributions both big and little. We couldn’t put on this show without the generous donations of our businesses, citizens, citizens from other towns (yes, even GENEVA), etc. None of the fireworks are paid for by city funds. They provide us with Police and Fire (and we thank them for that).
Stay tuned!
More internet stuff
From the Patch:
Batavia Fireworks To Be Rescheduled This Summer After Computer Crash
The committee that organizes the annual July 4 display says a system used by the pyrotechnics company failed after working Monday night.
Jeff Arnold, Patch Staff
Posted Wed, Jul 5, 2023 at 8:31 am CT|Updated Wed, Jul 5, 2023 at 12:26 pm CT
The City of Batavia is seeking answers from a local group that raises funds each year for the July 4 fireworks show as to why Tuesday's festivities were canceled at the last minute.
BATAVIA, IL - Batavia residents hoping to enjoy a July 4 tradition on Tuesday night were left disappointed after the city’s annual fireworks show was canceled at the last minute without much explanation from officials.
The show was called off on Tuesday night, with officials announcing the last-minute cancelation in a social media post.
“The Batavia Fireworks and Sky Concert is produced each year by a group of volunteers who raise donations throughout the year to fund the show,” reads a post on the city’s Facebook page that was written around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. “We are awaiting word from the organizers about what went wrong and if there will be a reschedule of tonight’s show.”
On Wednesday morning, the city posted an update saying it is working with local fireworks organizers to reschedule the show. However, city officials said that the display would not take place on Wednesday night and that the city expected to have further information on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Susan Stark of the Batavia Fireworks Committee told Patch in an email that the fireworks were just getting ready to start when the committee's chairman, Mark Davis, announced that the show would not go on. Stark said that she was told the computer system crashed and its backup system also failed, forcing the cancellation of the show. The computer system is not internet or cloud-based, officials said.
Stark told Patch in an email that the company that provides the fireworks show said that it used the same computer system it did 24 hours earlier at another site, where the system worked fine. She said that cell phone outages at the site in Batavia on Tuesday night did not affect the computer system or cause the failure, and that city officials are working to reschedule the show for later this summer.
Stark said that city officials met on Wednesday morning with other members of the organizing committee and representatives from the pyrotechnics company that was to have put on the show about what led to the cancelation of Tuesday's fireworks show.
In looking for stories online, I even came across a Reddit thread about it, plus a set of comments about the cell service:
r/ChicagoSuburbs•3 days ago
by Aimnpispol
Anyone know why the Batavia fireworks were cancelled last minute?
I’m sure it was a safety thing to do it last minute like that. It’s a bummer, but no one should blow off their hand just because it is the 4th and there’s a crowd.
xgrimes•3 days ago
Not sure if it’s true but I heard there was an issue with the server network (Verizon?) that controls the show remotely and they couldn’t get it to work at the last minute, and the fire department wouldn’t allow them to be set off manually. It was a bummer, but I’m holding out hope that it will maybe be rescheduled!
Aimnpispol•3 days ago
I have Verizon for my cell service and was on SOS while we were waiting for the show last night so clearly they were having issues. I hope they reschedule also.
Mom also saw a story on Channel 5 about it, but I wasn't able to find anything online.