No July 4th Fireworks Off the OB Pier This Year … Or Maybe Any Other

OB’s “annual” Fourth of July fireworks celebration off the Ocean Beach Pier will not be happening – again for the third year in a row.

And because of the state of the pier itself, whether fireworks will be held ever again is in doubt. .

Denny Knox of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA) told The Beacon the pier cannot handle the trucks and other weight-causing activity. She said:

“We don’t want to be responsible for (the pier) crumbling into the ocean.”

Faced with having to pay the $3,000 permit and doing fundraising for the cost of the $35,000 pyrotechnic contract, the OBMA decided not to go forward with the annual event. Knox said:

“The mayor’s office was negative. If it’s iffy at all, we can’t take that risk.”

“I think we’re going to have to wait till the pier is replaced. That’s a long way down the road. I don’t have any other answer. Maybe we’ll get creative and get some other idea.”

And there doesn’t appear to be any viable alternative. (Although a few years ago, Mike James proposed a whole different scenario : “Back to the Future: A Proposal to Replace the OB Pier Fireworks Festival With A Light and Water Show,” see here.)

Not to mention the challenges around the pollution and toxic waste from fireworks. (See this.)

Despite the current repairs, the future of the pier itself is in doubt. As the Beacon reports:

“… the fireworks tradition could be collateral damage. A City-funded report in 2019 concluded the pier had “reached the end of its service life.” The City is considering a long-term solution, which could involve a major rehabilitation at an estimated cost of up to $50 million, or a complete tear-down-and-rebuild for considerably more.”

Of course, it was the OB Rag and reporter Geoff Page who uncovered and made public the dire straits the Pier was in.