Fourth of July fireworks displays have become so costly in Vermont that some towns are seeking stopgap donations from residents to help fund shows for the nation’s 250th birthday — or have canceled them altogether.
President Donald Trump’s shifting tariffs on Chinese products have made imported fireworks significantly more expensive than they were last year. More problematic, Northstar Fireworks, the East Montpelier company that has long staged local fireworks displays for municipalities, was recently acquired by a national firm that requires a $20,000 minimum payment to put on a show — a nearly 50 percent increase and more than towns had budgeted.
Municipal leaders are trying to figure out how to pay for a celebration that residents have come to expect, without spending too much on pyrotechnics.
In Bristol, the new $20,000 minimum fee prompted town officials and volunteer organizers to turn to social media and Front Porch Forum to raise money. Bristol usually sets aside $13,500 for the annual fireworks, so to make up the difference, its Fourth of July committee started a fundraising drive last fall, including appeals to residents of the nearby towns of Lincoln, Monkton, New Haven and Starksboro.
Bristol stages a big celebration for Independence Day that brings visitors from around the region. The town hosts a community picnic with vendors, games and music on July 3 and puts on a fireworks display in the evening. The morning of July 4 features a 5K road race and the Great Bristol Outhouse Race, in which teams race their handmade mobile structures down Main Street.
The fireworks-funding drive came up short, raising only $1,625, but Meredith McFarland, Bristol’s recreation director, said the town is covering the gap by cutting back on some of the live performances originally slated for the Independence Day celebration and dropping the cash prizes planned for its Battle of the Bands competition. The town has also sought out more vendors, who pay fees to participate in the festivities.
“Because this year is so important, we made it happen. I donated some money towards it. Some of our own committee members donated towards it. We’ve got some great folks helping us out,” said McFarland.
McFarland said plans for next year remain uncertain but that town officials would most likely look for a different company to set off the fireworks.
“It will be the topic of the meeting right after the Fourth of July,” she promised.
At least one town, Hinesburg, has canceled its fireworks display because of the higher cost. Officials decided that $20,000 was too much to spend. Hinesburg has staged a July 4 show every year since the bicentennial celebration in 1976.
“The selectboard made a difficult decision, but it was a prudent decision in terms of finances,” said Jen McCuin, director of Hinesburg’s recreation department.
We’ve had fireworks in Lebanon for decades, and they might have cost $5,000. Now you’re seeing $20,000 minimuns.
Paul coats
The town originally earmarked $13,500 but learned last fall of the higher minimum fee charged by Pyrotecnico, the Pennsylvania-based company that had acquired Northstar Fireworks. News of the unexpected price hike caught local officials by surprise as they were preparing the upcoming budget. There was not enough time to find extra money for it, McCuin said.
Roger Kohn, a local attorney who will serve as grand marshal for Hinesburg’s Fourth of July parade, said that although he is disappointed Hinesburg won’t have fireworks this year, the cost was too great to justify.
“We’re still going to have a nice parade in the morning,” Kohn said.
Pyrotecnico defended its higher price tag, saying the nation’s $3 billion fireworks industry has been hit hard by President Trump’s tariff campaigns against China, the source of most U.S. fireworks. The levies have added 20 to 25 percent to its cost of importing fireworks.
Matt Shea, Pyrotecnico’s Northeast regional manager, said it had to raise prices to offset the higher import costs. He said Northstar had not updated its prices for a while before Pyrotecnico purchased it.
“We were looking at their Fourth of July shows and seeing that they had not really had a budget increase that kept in line with cost-of-living increases and tariff increases,” Shea said.
Considering the higher costs of fireworks, rental of specialized equipment and hiring workers, he said, the $20,000 fee pencils out as reasonable for a Fourth of July show in the region. Some Vermont towns will host grander fireworks displays than usual for the country’s 250th, he added.
“Every one of those shows in Vermont will have a lot of red, white and blue this year.”
Next door in New Hampshire, the city of Lebanon is reviving its fireworks display this year after landing a $20,000 donation from Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company with a biotech manufacturing facility nearby. Budget cuts had forced Lebanon officials to scrub Independence Day fireworks for the previous two years. Recreation, Arts & Parks Director Paul Coats said he was grateful for the chance to restart the tradition at such a historically meaningful moment.
“It’s the only way we were going to be able to have a fireworks show, so it’s huge, especially on the 250th anniversary,” he said.
Lebanon also formerly contracted with Northstar Fireworks.
“We’ve had fireworks in Lebanon for decades, and they might have cost $5,000. Now you’re seeing $20,000 minimums,” he said.
Coats said his department considered alternatives to traditional fireworks, noting that some people and pets dislike the thundering blasts. Three years ago, Lebanon hosted an Independence Day laser show that dazzled, Coats said, but the town lacks an adequate outdoor space to accommodate thousands of people gathering to enjoy the lights up close.
Lebanon’s fireworks show will be launched from the Storrs Hill Ski Area on July 2 and can be viewed from Colburn Park, coinciding with the start of a summer concert series. Novo Nordisk’s donation will also help pay for a free community cookout scheduled for July 4.
Officials in Hinesburg hope this year’s cancellation will motivate the community to make it a priority.
“My guess is that not having fireworks this year will maybe prompt people and organizations to think, Wow, we really can’t forget this. Let’s come up with a way to fundraise,” McCuin said.
In addition to its traditional parade and fun runs, Hinesburg will host a lawn party on the town common with food trucks and a live band performing from a new pavilion.
Still, McCuin predicted: “I’m sure there will be people who’ll show up behind the school and say, ‘Where are the fireworks?’” ➆
The original print version of this article was headlined “Less Bang for the Buck | Some Vermont towns can’t afford the skyrocketing cost of Fourth of July fireworks”
This article appears in June 24 • 2026.
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