Fergus Falls Summerfest faces short deadline to fund fireworks privately

The Friday night fireworks that help anchor Summerfest in Fergus Falls are suddenly on a fundraising clock. The city will not cover the show in its budget this year, leaving the volunteer committee about six weeks to raise the money privately before the June 12-13 festival at Kirkbride Park.

That shift matters because Summerfest is not a small side event. The celebration began 50 years ago as the Scandinavian Heritage Festival, and it now operates as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) supported by individual and business donations, grants and city help. Its planning committee is entirely volunteer-run, which means the loss of public funding pushes a core part of the event onto organizers and donors almost immediately.

The city’s usual role has been modest but important. A recent council meeting summary said Fergus Falls has typically contributed $3,500 a year toward the fireworks. With that money off the table, the committee has to close the gap fast if it wants to keep the fireworks listed for Friday at 10:15 p.m., one of the most visible draws of the two-day event.

Volunteer Lori Mullen told the council she was disappointed by the lack of communication and said the committee learned indirectly that the fireworks might not be funded. She also pointed to Summerfest’s 50-year partnership with the city and warned that bookings are made in November, which leaves little room to pivot this late in the planning cycle. The timing is especially tight because the event is now only weeks away, not months.

The budget squeeze also sits inside a broader city finance picture. Fergus Falls says budgeting and long-range financial planning are part of the finance department’s work, and the city has already committed its 0.5% local sales and use tax, approved by voters in 2022 and effective Oct. 1, 2023, to the outdoor aquatics facility and DeLagoon Park improvements. That leaves other community asks, including Summerfest fireworks, competing for a smaller pool of discretionary support.

For now, the responsibility has shifted squarely to Summerfest Fergus Falls and its backers. If donations and sponsorships come in, the fireworks can still light up the sky over Kirkbride Park. If they do not, one of Fergus Falls’ most recognizable summer traditions will have to adjust to a budget that no longer includes the city’s help.