A photograph from the last fireworks display in Escanaba, which was cut short by a computer failure on July 6, 2024. To make up for problems and postponements with the past two Fourth of July shows, Great Lakes Fireworks will launch fireworks near Ludington Park today for New Year's Eve. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

ESCANABA — Escanaba will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a fireworks display tonight at Ludington Park.

While the municipality did launch fireworks on New Year’s Eve for a few years after the city’s 150th anniversary in 2013, the activity was later cut from the budget and hasn’t happened for several years.

The show, set for 9 p.m. today, is to make up for the past two Independence Day hiccups.

“Because the fireworks for the Fourth of July were canceled the last two years, we knew we had to do something,” Escanaba Recreation Director Kim Peterson said. “We tried several different dates during the summer to get them to come back, and it just wasn’t working out. So we decided to do it on New Year’s Eve again, just for this year.”

In 2024, a computer failure in the pyrotechnician’s remote control resulted in only a partial fireworks display on July 6, which left viewers disappointed and confused that night until they learned what had happened. The provider, Great Lakes Fireworks, gave the city a credit and promised a great display in 2025.

This year, fireworks that had been scheduled for the City of Escanaba’s celebration on Saturday, July 5, were postponed due to rain. The rain date of July 12 saw more inclement weather, forcing another cancellation.

Great Lakes Fireworks — a company based in West Branch that has done Escanaba’s Independence Day fireworks for several consecutive years, in addition to displays at Marquette, Trenary, the U.P. State Fair and Manistique — is returning to Escanaba this week to present the fireworks show.

The weather is supposed to be cold — falling in to the single digits that night — but free from precipitation and only partly cloudy.

Also on New Year’s Eve and into Thursday morning, a program is available to keep drivers who have been celebrating off the roads. Between 7 p.m. today and 4 a.m. Thursday, LifeRides, organized by OSF HealthCare, will offer their services for free in the county. People may book with the DATA bus early at 906-786-1186, with Get-a-Cab at 866-438-2222 or with Kacalo City Cab at 906-399-7176.

LifeRides are made possible by the support of these sponsors: Island Resort & Casino, The Sackerson Foundation, Community Foundation for Delta County, Escanaba area credit unions, M3 Insurance and Elmer’s County Market.