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KANKAKEE – The nighttime sky in Kankakee once again will be set aglow this summer as two holidays will feature fireworks displays.
The Kankakee City Council waived its competitive bidding clause at Tuesday’s meeting in order to ink a deal with Mad Bomber Fireworks Production for Juneteenth and Independence Day displays.
The contract is identical to the agreement signed in 2024 with Mad Bomber.
The Juneteenth show will be June 21 at Pioneer Park. The July 4 show will be visible from Kankakee Community College and the Riverview subdivision area at Beckman Park and the Kankakee Boat Club.
The Juneteenth display, set to last about 10 minutes, will cost $9,500. The July 4 show, which will last about 25 minutes, will cost $42,000 for a total cost of $51,500.
Mayor Chris Curtis said he is mindful of the cost of the shows, but he said what the programs bring to the city and the area make it worth the cost.
“It’s a long-standing tradition,” he said. “It’s worth the money. I believe these shows bring a lot of camaraderie to the community.”
Curtis noted that discussing summertime fireworks on a night when temperatures dipped into the single digits was somewhat odd.
“It’s zero degrees out, and we are talking fireworks,” he said.