Dayton’s Fourth of July ‘Lights in Flight’ celebration to feature fireworks, no festival

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The City of Dayton is looking to put on a show in celebration of the Fourth of July holiday.

For the second year in a row, the city will host a fireworks show exclusively, without pairing the sky show with a festival.

The city’s “Lights in Flight” show will last 20 minutes with more than 2,000 shells fired. They will launch from Kettering Field — about one mile north of downtown Dayton — and residents will be able to see them from along East Helena Street and Brennan Drive.

Those looking to attend should bring a blanket or chair for seating at the event.

Dayton is one of several Miami Valley municipalities that have made launching personal fireworks illegal. The list of areas also includes:

• Fairborn
• Beavercreek
• Oakwood
• Germantown
• Springfield
• Kettering
• Trotwood
• Vandalia

Ignoring the law and firing off personal fireworks can result in numerous injuries. With that in mind, safety is of utmost importance.

“Even a simple sparkler can burn at over 2,000 degrees,” Dayton Fire Department Assistant Chief Brad French. “And it’s not uncommon for us to see injuries, burns and things like that around this holiday every year. So, we want people to have fun, but we want you to do so in a safe manner.”

“And the safest way to do that is to come on down and watch the City of Dayton’s fireworks Lights in Flight show.”

As far as traffic is concerned, those looking to navigate the streets will want to take note of closures beginning at 3 p.m.

• 3 p.m.: North Bend Boulevard, the pedestrian bridge to Deeds Point and Recreational Trails along the river will be closed to traffic.
• 4 p.m.: Island Metropark, including the bike trails to and Triangle Park will be closed.
• 6 p.m.: Sections of Riverside Drive and East Helena Street will be open to pedestrian traffic only.

The fireworks are set to launch at 10 p.m. The City of Dayton plans to have all roads and trails back open by 2 a.m.

In the event of rain, the show will be rescheduled for Thursday, July 4 at 10 p.m.

Click here to access a map for the event.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com.