GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids will now allow fireworks to be set off to mark Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people.
Now residents and visitors to Grand Rapids will be allowed to light fireworks on June 19 in celebration of Juneteenth, which was made a federal holiday last year.
Juneteenth joins a list of other holidays where fireworks are permitted through ordinance, including New Year, Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day:
- 11 a.m. December 31 to 1 a.m. January 1
- 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. on the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Memorial Day
- 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. June 19
- 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. June 29 to July 4
- 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. on the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Labor Day
The city’s firework ordinance sets a civil fine of $1,000 for each violation outside of these times.
The Grand Rapids Police Department says residents can report any illegal use of fireworks outside the allotted times by calling 616.456.3400. You can also call 911 if you feel you are in danger.
The Grand Rapids Fire Department offered several firework safety tips, including never mix fireworks and alcohol, and never try to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned — “duds” can re-ignite and injure you. They suggest keeping a bucket of water or garden hose handy in case of malfunction or fire. For more firework safety tips, visit the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission website.
Juneteenth honors June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were finally made aware they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation two and half years earlier. The day is often celebrated at first with church picnics and speeches, and the holiday spread across the nation as Black Texans moved elsewhere.