‘This is ridiculous’: Why did Boise’s July 4 fireworks show start so late?
As fireworks lit up the night sky above cities across the Treasure Valley on July 4, one spot was mysteriously dark: Ann Morrison Park.
Despite the crowd gathered for Boise’s annual city fireworks display, the show didn’t begin at its normal time, which is around 10:15 p.m.
One place that did quickly get lit up? Boise Parks & Recreation’s Facebook page.
As commenters wondered what had caused the delay — “Just heard it was canceled due to lightning? Confirmed?” asked one — Parks & Rec tried to handle the situation in the replies.
And field a few complaints.
“This is ridiculous,” wrote one commenter, “it’s 40 minutes past. Everyone’s leaving.”
“We are doing our best to provide updates in the park,” Parks & Rec answered. “We are just waiting on final approval from the (fire marshal) to begin.”
The issue? “Weather that moved through today and a variety of changing conditions,” Parks & Rec wrote.
“We understand the frustration,” the city replied to another commenter, “but safety is our top priority.”
When the pyro showcase did finally begin, it was roughly 11 p.m. And although many Boiseans were grateful — “Great show as always,” one Facebooker posted afterward — others felt the evening had been a disappointment.
“It was just too late for the littles,” one commenter explained, “it was sad seeing everyone leaving.”
“We are sorry for the delay — safety is always top priority,” Parks & Rec replied. “With the weather that moved through today and a variety of changing conditions, the team was doing all they could to make sure the show happened safely.”
“We stayed and it was worth it!” another Facebooker wrote.
In positive news, Ada County Dispatch had the fewest fire-related calls since it began keeping track of the data in 2017 for the time frame between midnight July 4 through 6 a.m. July 5, according to Ada County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Lauren Montague, who sent out a media release.
But the county received the most calls about illegal fireworks that it’s ever had in that same period: 364.
“We also received 185 texts to the admin line for a total of 549 firework complaints,” she added in a message.
This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 11:55 AM.