Dunkirk Ready for Three-Day Celebration of July 4th

Dunkirk's waterfront will be a very busy place over the next few days, as the city celebrates the July 4th holiday. The city's official celebration kicks off on Thursday and concludes with fireworks Saturday evening. Dunkirk Police Captain Doug Switzer, who was a guest on WDOE's "Viewpoint" program on Wednesday, anticipates a lot of people showing up along the lakefront, especially amid the ongoing heat wave. He says the department will have adequate staffing to monitor the activity...

Doug Switzer: what we have is sufficient

Switzer advises those who plan to participate in the festivities along the waterfront to come down early...

Doug Switzer: traffic packs in quick

He adds that if you can't find a space near the lake, there are other parking areas where you can take in the fireworks...

Doug Switzer: other parking areas

Once the fireworks show is over on Saturday, Switzer recommends those leaving the waterfront to travel on the main roads leading away from that area, such as Route 5, Route 60, Central Avenue and Brigham Road. He says motorists who try to take shortcuts by going onto side streets can cause traffic to clog up even more.

On Thursday and Friday, food/refreshment vendors will open at 5:00 PM in Memorial Park, and there will also be live music beginning at that time. On Saturday, live music begins at 11:00 AM. That night will conclude with Dunkirk resident Cathy Ruch singing the national anthem at 9:30 PM, followed by the fireworks show. WDOE will also have a special America 250 broadcast in conjunction with the fireworks. The rain date will be Sunday, July 5th.

Click here to listen to the entire "Viewpoint" interview featuring Dunkirk Police Captain Doug Switzer.

Vendors along the Dunkirk waterfront during last year's July 4th celebration. Photo by Dunkirk Festivals and Special Events