No bleachers for Fourth fireworks watchers in Canonsburg
Holidays tend to be laden with tradition, and watching Canonsburg’s Fourth of July fireworks from the bleachers of Canon-McMillan Stadium is a mainstay for many residents of both the borough and beyond.
This year, at least, that tradition is going to be scratched off the list.
An ongoing, $7.3 million renovation project at the stadium means the bleachers will be off limits to spectators who want to see the rockets’ red glare and the bombs bursting in air in Canonsburg. However, the fireworks will still be fired off from behind the stadium, as they have in the past.
Nevertheless, Canonsburg officials are urging people to come to town, and just find alternate vantage points.
David Rhome, the borough’s mayor, suggested the stadium’s parking lot, the downtown and other spots, as long as watchers “don’t block anyone else’s view.”
The stadium renovation is focusing on the facility’s locker rooms, parking, the throwing area for track and field events and bleachers on the stadium’s visitors side. The project is one of several capital improvement projects the district has undertaken in recent years, the others including the construction of an elementary school in Muse and the addition of new classroom space at the high school.
Canonsburg is arguably the region’s hot spot on the Fourth of July, thanks in large part to the parade that snakes through town in the morning. It’s an event that spurs many residents to put out chairs in advance year after year.
Has Rhome heard any grumbling about the bleachers being out of commission?
“Not really,” he said. “People understand that (the renovations) have to be done for the good of the community itself.”
For additional information on Canonsburg’s Fourth of July festivities, go online to canonsburgjuly4th.org.