Organizers of the first all-island Fourth of July fireworks display in over 30 years have secured all the permits necessary to make this year’s celebration a blast.

“It’s definitely happening, we’ve got everything we need,” said Tod Hornick, an organizer of the event and a co-founder of the Bainbridge Island Yacht Club.

The First Annual Arnold Jackson Memorial Fireworks Display will commence after sundown over Eagle Harbor on July 4.

The display will last 15 minutes and will involve about 1,000 explosions. It will be operated by the same company that puts on Poulsbo’s July 3 fireworks display.

It has been decades since the last Fourth of July display on Bainbridge.

Islander Ed Johnson, who worked on the Fourth of July committee in 1973 for the Chamber of Commerce, remembered that at one time island fireworks became so popular that they almost became a problem.

“As time went on the show became more popular and the costs involved went up, and somewhere we reached a point where safety became a concern due to the increasing number of pleasure boats in the harbor watching the show,” Johnson said.

However, with a push at the city to limit personal fireworks displays, the all-island event may play a hand in reducing fireworks incidents.

Islander Jim Walkowski, the father of former fire chief Jim Walkowski, said the community display would relieve some of the negatives associated with personal fireworks usage.

“It takes the pressure off the general public to have displays in their backyards and it lessens disturbances to neighborhood tranquility and the fire hazard,” he said.

There are other reasons why a dedicated display may prove popular this year.

“People don’t have money to go blow off $100 here and $50 there on fireworks,” Walkowski said.

Hornick also said a number of other evening events were beginning to spring up around Winslow to coincide with the display, one being an open courtyard gathering outside of Cafe Trios.

For Hornick, it’s all about setting the stage for years to come.

“We want to generate the enthusiasm this year,” he said. “We want to start a tradition and start planning for the next one right after this one is over.”

Organizers are still looking for roughly $8,000 to cover the cost of this year’s display. For information, or to donate, see www.the-biyc.us.

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