Alderson, WV (WOAY) – Alderson’s Fourth of July celebration, one of the largest in West Virginia, is gearing up to return this year, and organizers are rolling out a handful of changes along with a new map to help visitors get around.
The fireworks remain the centerpiece. Mayor Travis Copenhaver said this year’s display will be the biggest the town has ever put on.
“We’ll have the largest firework show that we’ve had. There’ll be over 1100 shells in the air,” Copenhaver said.
One of the changes is where those fireworks launch from. After a problem with last year’s location, the committee went looking for a new spot and tested several before settling on one.
“We did site testing at three different sites. And this is the best site for the field. So we’ll be letting them off in front of the former subway,” Copenhaver said.
The committee is also posting a map online so visitors can locate the launch site, find good viewing areas and sort out parking. Copenhaver said the best place to take in both the ground display and the aerial shells is Alderson Memorial Football Field, where it costs $5 to get in.
He said the hand-built ground fireworks are what make Alderson’s show stand out.
“The thing that sets Alderson apart from anywhere else on fireworks are those fireworks that are on the field. That, plus the aerials make the show that’s coordinated in conjunction with music,” Copenhaver said.
Running from June 27 through July 5, the celebration also features a parade, a fireman’s rodeo, foot races, a car show, food trucks and vendors. The horse show moves to a new venue in Pence Springs this year. Organizers said most of the celebration is free, though the whole event runs on volunteers and ticket sales.
Closing things out on July 5, the rubber duck race is a key part of that fundraising, with $5 tickets and a $5,000 grand prize. Briton Kirby, vice president of the Alderson Fourth of July Committee, said ticket and field admission sales are what keep the celebration going year to year.
“This is how we fund our entire fireworks. This is how we fund everything that we do for the next year. Between this and the field admission, if we don’t sell the tickets, have a good field admission, We don’t have a good 4th of July for the next year,” Kirby said.
The event map is available on the Alderson Fourth of July Facebook page, and the grand fireworks display is set for July 4 at the memorial field.
For a full list of events and attractions, visit alderson4th.com.
