Fireworks Extravaganza To Be Held In Shell Lake July 3

In the spirit of our Declaration of Independence's "pursuit of happiness," the Shell Lake Chamber of Commerce is pulling out all the stops Wednesday. July 3rd with a Block Party, Street Dance and Fireworks Extravaganza beginning at 7pm.

Come out set up a chair on the beautiful sandy beach and grassy lawn to be close to all the nights' events and fireworks show.

The evening will start with free music in the Park's Pavilion by the Master Jazz facility from the famed Shell Lake Arts Center. According to Dr. Phillip Ostrander, a professor at UW Eau Claire and one of the Art Center's faculty, the faculty band will be playing a wide variety of upbeat and exciting jazz tunes, and they invite you to set up your lawn chair and listen as each talented faculty member will be featured on their own favorite piece.

There will be food and treats throughout the evening and into the night. At the Pavilion's concession stand, Hearts of Gold will be serving brats, hot dogs, taco supremes and their famous funnel cakes.

Boy Scout Troop #468 selling hot, buttered popcorn in the parking lot of Matt's Ice Cream Stand where you'll find ice cream, as well as soft pretzels, nachos, hamburgers, hot dogs and Hawaiian Shave Ice. Scoop and Brew will be open, serving ice cream, hot dogs, and walking tacos. Lakeview Bar and Grill will be serving their full menu, and Klopp's Bar will be open as well as the Laughing Goat Food Stand serving all your comfort foods (Next to Klopp's) as well as Al's Market and My Favorite Things.

The featured street band this year is Sushi Roll out of Chicago, and they begin playing at 8pm until midnight with music for the entire family. Thanks to our sponsors admission is free to the street dance.

According to Shell Lake Fire Chief, Keith Dahlstrom, due to the much larger size of this year's individual fireworks, for safety reasons, the launch site has been moved to the lakeside of the airport.

Because many of the fireworks will be shooting almost one thousand feet into the air, this new venue will not only be spectacular, but safe for everyone.

There are also safety restrictions for anyone in a boat on the water during the show. They ask that boaters stay back from the launch site.

The Chamber has also arranged to have a sizable handicapped parking area set up across the highway from the airport on the empty lot at the corner of 63 and Third Street, the same corner that will begin the detour around town.

This way, the fireworks can be viewed by those who are elderly, handicapped, or disabled like a drive-in movie, or chairs can be placed near their vehicles for outside viewing. They ask that people to please observe these particular areas.

An 'On and Off' shuttle service will run continuously during the evening's festivities from downtown to the fireworks location.

Klopp's Bar will be offering the Safe Ride Home program for individuals who may feel they have enjoyed the evening with enough adult beverages that they do not wish to put themselves or others in harm's way to get home safely. Please go to Klopp's to arrange a ride.

Shell Lake Police Chief Dave Wilson will be detouring traffic around town again this year from 7pm – midnight for the safety of all the pedestrians. Please follow the detour route. Another road closure will be just past the Tip Town ball fields on Burgs Parkway. This will only be accessible to residents who live down that road. He will also have a full crew after the fireworks to keep traffic moving smoothly. The chief asks everyone to bear with the department this year due to the number of town roads and alleys that will be under construction and unavailable for parking.

According to the Chief, there will be no parking permitted on the grass from the bus garage to Tip Town. No parking on closed portions of Hwy. 63, and no parking on the ATV trail or pedestrian walkways.

He also emphasizes there will be absolutely no foot traffic on the paved airport landing strip. This will cause a shut down of the fireworks show. Sand Road will be open to Burgs Parkway to allow access to the parking lots at the campground and the community center.

Shell Lake fireworks are always a huge hit and bring thousands of people to town. This year's Block Party and Fireworks Extravaganza promises to be even bigger and better than ever, so come join the fun and pursue some happiness. A big thanks to these local business who have donated and made Sushi Roll possible for our family street dance: