Ault Park Fourth of July Celebration Back on After Fundraising Efforts

A beloved Cincinnati Fourth of July tradition that was facing cancelation will return this year after all thanks to community fundraising efforts.

In March , the city shared that the annual Ault Park Fireworks, which had always been volunteer- and community-organized, would no longer happen as organizers pulled out due to the event becoming increasingly difficult to plan, produce and manage safely. But on Monday, Cincinnati Parks announced that enough funds had been secured to keep the Fourth of July celebration going for its 58th year.

“I am thrilled that the 58th Annual Ault Park Fireworks are officially on for this summer,” Cincinnati City Council member Seth Walsh said in a press release. “This event is a part of the fabric of summertime in Cincinnati and the community stepped up and came together to ensure that it will happen again this year. Cincinnati never ceases to amaze me. I can’t wait to attend in July.”

Following an announcement from Walsh that Cincinnati Parks was eager to help continue the holiday tradition, several community members, businesses and organizations, including Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor’s family, Joey Boese and the Bengal Nation, The Model Group, Zip’s Cafe and several community councils, stepped forward to help fund the event. You can see a full list of sponsors here .

"The community really stepped up to the plate to ensure that the Ault Park Fireworks would continue,” Cincinnati Parks director Jason Barron said in the release. “Council member Walsh deserves a ton of credit for stepping in and injecting new life into this beloved event. And of course, we are always lucky to have the Parks Foundation by our side to make great things happen. Rest assured your Cincinnati Parks team is ready and excited to do our part in continuing this cherished tradition in Ault Park."

The next step for the event is to form a volunteer-led committee to ensure the fireworks can continue sustainably in the future. Those interested in donating to the Ault Park Fireworks Fund can do so here .

The Ault Park Fireworks will kick off on Fourth of July at 11 a.m. with a children’s bike-scooter-wagon parade and decoration contest, with walk-up registration starting at 10:30 a.m. Then, the evening programming runs from 6-10 p.m., with food trucks, live music from the Cassette Junkies and Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks at dusk.

Cincinnati Parks will produce the event, and the Cincinnati Parks Foundation will serve as the fiscal partner. United Dairy Farmers will again serve as the presenting sponsor.