NORTHAMPTON, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Lots of local residents shared their disappointment after the Northampton Family Fourth Committee announced on Thursday that they will be pausing the annual event for 2026. After years of bringing the community together for Independence Day fireworks at Look Park, event organizers told Western Mass News this was a very difficult decision for them.

Western Mass News spoke with committee chair Brenda Ryan.

She told us that since 2011, the event has been powered by a small core group of volunteers. Those volunteers’ effort fundraising for the event. Ryan said that in recent years, it’s been extremely challenging to gather the necessary funds, and has required considerable time, energy, and repeated outreach.

The committee anticipates that, given current economic conditions, raising that cash for 2026 would be even more difficult, “people gave but they didn’t give as much as they have in the past, everybody’s been feeling that pinch so this year we feel like it’s the best time for us to rebuild that cushion we had because it’s more than just paying for the fireworks we have to pay for insurance and bands and sound and all the other things that go along with it,” Brenda Ryan said.

Ryan also mentioned that no new volunteers have joined the committee in several years, and the longtime core members now have limited capacity due to other responsibilities. While the fireworks celebration for 2026 is on pause the committee says they are hopeful this break will make it so the event can return for 2027.

If you are interested in making a donation to the committee or have fundraising ideas, you can visit the committee’s Facebook page or email them at information.

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