Oak Harbor fireworks stands raise money for charities and youth programs
Oak Harbor fireworks stands are sending all profits to local charities and youth programs, even as Island County keeps tight limits on when and where fireworks can be used.
A fireworks stand outside the Mill at The Kasteel is turning Fourth of July sales into local aid, with the Knights of Columbus using the Oak Harbor operation to fund charity work across Island County. A second stand run by the Church of the Nazarene near the Sherwin-Williams Paint Store is doing the same for youth camps and conferences.
The Knights of Columbus stand has sold fireworks in Oak Harbor for more than two decades and remains open daily through July 4. The group donates all of its profits to charitable work, and those funds help support pregnancy care, buy wheelchairs and provide scholarships. The stand is volunteer-run and sells everything from inexpensive novelty items to large assortment packs.
The Church of the Nazarene stand follows a similar model. It is also volunteer-led. Proceeds send children and teens to church camps and youth conferences. The stand helps families who otherwise could not afford those experiences.
Island County allows legal fireworks in unincorporated areas only on July 3 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., July 4 from 9 a.m. to midnight, and New Year’s Eve from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1. Fireworks are banned in Island County and state parks, on federal land, on public property and on private property without permission, and mortar fireworks are prohibited countywide.
Sheriff Rick Felici announced a Type 1 burn ban beginning at 7 a.m. July 1, but allowable fireworks remained permitted unless the ban was upgraded to Type II. Island County follows state fireworks law along with stricter local code, and the 2023 ordinance limiting consumer fireworks in unincorporated Island County took effect one year after adoption because more restrictive rules cannot take effect sooner.
Commissioners approved an advisory vote for the November 2026 general election asking unincorporated-area voters whether consumer fireworks should be banned entirely. Commissioner Melanie Bacon has pressed for tighter restrictions, citing fire risk, animal impacts and pollution, while Commissioner Jill Johnson has opposed more limits and questioned the need for the vote.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
