KaBoom Gets its Viewing Fees

With KaBoom Committee members discussing it openly for months as though it were already a foregone conclusion, Red Bank council’s announcement at its meeting Wednesday night was a little less than a surprise. But, it’s finally official this time around, fireworks now have a fee.

The council made a motion of support allowing the KaBoom Committee, the organization behind the annual July 3rd fireworks show over the Navesink River, to charge viewing fees at one public park, Riverside Gardens.

Adults will pay $10 while children under 10 years of age cost just $5. Adult tickets can be purchased in advance for $7. KaBoom is limiting the number of tickets sold to the park to 2,000, in this, the council called it, a trial run.

Though the borough had previously mentioned the possibility of granting KaBoom the right to charge viewing fees at multiple spots, including the library and nearby Marine Park, keeping it to one location, it was agreed, would help KaBoom in its efforts to not only collect money, but maintain control of the borough’s most prime viewing spot.

The goal, foremost, is to raise funds for the fireworks show, which, according to Daniel Murphy, an event organizer with KaBoom, has ballooned to about $300,000 as associated costs like police overtime and cleanup have risen. An ancillary goal is to try and create a more family-friendly atmosphere for the fireworks show.

Last year, a crowd of more than 100,000 descended on Red Bank to see fireworks. The local police department was pushed to its limits as incidents of fighting and public intoxication were rampant over the course of the weekend. Organizers hope that by instituting viewing fees families will have a place to congregate in an area where they’ll not only have some more room, but also a feeling of safety and community.

KaBoom officials talked publically about the financial hardships the fireworks show was facing in light of rising costs. Murphy said the show, which he said is ranked second in the country behind New York’s Fourth of July show, hasn’t gotten bigger in the past few years, but costs have. The committee was not even given a green light to go ahead with this year’s show until it settled it’s debt with the borough for more than $40,000 in police costs just a couple of months ago.

But, after securing several large sponsorships recently, Mayor Pat Menna said KaBoom is now very sound financially. Now, with KaBoom no longer desperate to secure funds it can work on creating the community focus its committee has preached for the past several months.

Business Administrator Stanley Sickles said council’s approval will allow KaBoom to market its new family-friendly viewing location in time for this year’s fireworks display.