How Much Did Your Town Spend on Fireworks?
Patch compares the costs of displays in Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Glenview, Northbrook and Deerfield.
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While some Illinois municipalities have canceled fireworks or combined forces to save money in recent years, the show goes on in the north suburbs.
Between Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Glenview, Northbrook and Deerfield, Chicago’s North Shore will spend nearly $200,000 on fireworks this year.
Among those suburbs, the most expensive display is the one in Wilmette, which rings in at $40,000, according to Steve Wilson, executive director of the Wilmette Park District. Including entertainment, set up and staff time, the total bill for the day comes to $60,000, Wilson said.
The least expensive display is Deerfield’s, put on by the city at a cost of $9,500, according to Andrew Lichterman, management analyst for the village.
Check out the table below to see where your town stacks up—and how your fireworks are funded, whether it’s through the municipality or through the fundraising efforts of a private group (as in Evanston, Glenview and Northbrook, for example.)
| Town | Cost | Funding Source |
| Deerfield | $9,500 | Village of Deerfield |
| Evanston | $27,000 | Evanston Fourth of July Association |
| Glencoe | $21,000 | Glencoe Park District |
| Glenview | $25,900 | Glenview 4th of July Committee |
| Highland Park | $15,000 | City of Highland Park |
| Northbrook | $20,000 | Northbrook 4th of July Association |
| Wilmette | $40,000 | Wilmette Park District |
| Winnetka | $32,500 | Village of Winnetka |
Linda Wallace
12:58 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
It was fun watching the fireworks from my bedroom window in Highland Park, but $15,000 seems excessive. It's hard to believe that Wilmette was willing to appropriate $40,000 for about a half hour to forty-five minute show. In these hard times, maybe there's a better way to welcome in our country's birthday.
Millie
1:02 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
I know the article says fireworks.But does each burb include other 4th of July activities in that figure?
David Kreiman
1:58 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
James - in Glenview, the figure quoted is just for the fireworks. Also, though, in Glenview, the cost of the fireworks and all the other day's festivities are paid for thru donations from residents and businesses. Tax dollars are not used.
Melanie Santostefano
2:25 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Hi James,
These figures are strictly for fireworks costs.
Melanie
Joanna Schneider
3:00 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
@James, you can see which burbs' firework displays are funded through tax dollars and which, like Glenview, are funded through private fundraising.
Joe Nelson
1:48 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
What does Lake Forest spend? Why are they not included?
Jennifer Fisher
2:42 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
We didn't include Lake Forest since this story didn't run on Lake Forest Patch. That's a good question, though!
Lucille P
9:09 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
What an eye opener. It would be a real service to see a follow up article to illustrate what these figures include. In Wilmette is it the fireworks, or the entire celebration including the payroll dollars for the Village services.
Jennifer Fisher
10:09 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
$40,000 is the total cost for the fireworks in Wilmette. Counting payroll, entertainment and setup, the celebrations were $60,000.