HAVE A BLAST
While area fireworks displays are curtailed due to the pandemic, there’ll be one in Ulster County and three in Dutchess County tonight
With Fourth of July festivals and fireworks shows canceled in area communities because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ulster and Dutchess counties have stepped up to fill the void.
In Ulster County, a fireworks display will light up the night sky over TechCity in the town of Ulster on Saturday.
Parking lots at TechCity, 300 Enterprise Drive, will open at 7:30 p.m., and the fireworks will start after dusk. Admission is free and will be on a firstcome, first-served basis.
Attendees must stay in or near their vehicles, and no alcoholic beverages will be allowed.
Dutchess County will have three drive-in fireworks ceremonies, all starting at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The locations are the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, 6636 U.S. Route 9, Rhinebeck; Dutchess Stadium, 1500 state Route 9D, Fishkill; and the Silo Ridge Field Club Equestrian Center (Keane Stud), 217 Depot Hill Road, Amenia.
The events, free and open to all, are being promoted as “Dutchess County Goes Renegade” and are being put on in partnership with the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Silo Ridge Field Club, the Dutchess County Fairgrounds and iHeartMedia of the Hudson Valley.
A synchronized broadcast of patriotic music from each Dutchess site will be aired by iHeartMedia on several of its stations.
Gates will open to vehicles at each location at 7:30 p.m. Parking is limited to 3,000 vehicles at the fairgrounds, to 300 vehicles at Keane Stud and 500 vehicles at Dutchess Stadium. Parked vehicles will be spaced to conform to social-distancing requirements.
People coming to the fireworks shows are advised to bring their own snacks. Alcohol will not be allowed, and restroom facilities will not be available.
On Sunday in Ulster County, there will be motorcades in several communities to honor essential workers.
In Kingston, a motorcade will begin at 4 p.m. at Dietz Stadium, led by the Kingston Fire Department and Kingston Police Department, along with city officials and community groups. The decorating of vehicles is encouraged, and any family, group or organization that would like to participate can register at bit.ly/3eqgY5L.
The Kingston motorcade will recognize people “who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic,” the Ulster County Executive’s Office said previously.