Apopka will hold makeup fireworks Sunday night

Apopka is holding a Fourth of July do-over Sunday night at the Northwest Recreation Complex.

The “Sunday Fun Day” is the city’s way of making good on a pledge by first-year Mayor Bryan Nelson to reschedule the Independence Day fireworks that fizzled because of rain and problems with the pyrotechnic vendor.

But the makeup show will blast off with a new vendor, Zambelli Fireworks, which stages 1,600 shows a year. Parking is also free this time. The city charged $10 per vehicle last time with some proceeds going to charity.

Meanwhile, another longawaited Apopka attraction will be up and running this weekend: the city’s new splash pad.

The water playground debuted last week after two years of planning, bid goof-ups and construction. “It was packed,” Nelson said, The splash pad, in Kit Land Nelson Park, will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, Sunday and Labor Day. Admission is $2 per person. Bring your own towels. The water attraction will be open weekends through mid-October.

“Sunday Fun Day” begins at 6 p.m. at the recreation venue at 3710 Jason Dwelley Parkway.

Nelson had promised residents the fireworks show canceled July 4 would light up the skies over Apopka during Labor Day weekend — at no charge. The Independence Day vendor, Orlando-based Creative Pyrotechnics, offered a free September show after a disappointed Nelson posted an apology on the city’s Facebook page.

Creative Pyrotechnics also had launch problems in DeBary and St. Petersburg on Independence Day night.

“We’ve never had these issues before,” Creative Pyrotechnics owner E.J. Weppel said in July.

Problems in some cities were blamed on afternoon storms that flooded launch areas.

“Sunday Fun Day” will be a smaller version of the city’s Independence Day event with live music, food vendors, an inflatable bounce house for kids, facepainting and balloon artists, Apopka recreation manager Lorena Potter said.

Last month, she also told the City Council the city filed an insurance claim to get its fireworks money back.

Though Creative Pyrotechnics had promised the city a refund and a free Labor Day fireworks show, the city opted to hire Zambelli based on the 125-year-old company’s reputation, Potter said at an Aug. 1 council session.

The fireworks show will be 20 minutes long and of similar quality for less money.

The pyrotechnics extravaganza will cost $12,000, about half what the city forked out for the aborted Fourth of July show.

Potter said the Labor Day show is cheaper because demand for pyrotechnics is lower in September.

The weather outlook is better, too, with only a 20 percent chance of Sunday showers, according to the National Weather Service.