Thorpe makes plans for hometown fest

The annual Fourth of July fireworks in Jim Thorpe may not only switch organizers, but also sides of the Lehigh River.

Michael Rivkin, vice president of the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency, told borough council Thursday night that pending municipal approval, it plans to partner with Sam Miller Field to host a fireworks show as the culmination to a hometown festival.

Sam Miller Field is located on North Avenue in the Heights section of the borough on the west side of the river.

The American Legion Post 304 in Jim Thorpe announced in January that it would no longer be hosting its annual Stay At Home Festival in July, which included a fireworks show and was held at Memorial Park on the east side of town.

“JTTA stepped in and had a conversation with the mayor, and basically what we said is that it’s not the Fourth of July without fireworks,” Rivkin said. “We started putting some plans together and the folks at Sam Miller Field indicated they wanted to be a part of this. So basically what we’ve come up with is a small festival and fireworks show that will be a fundraiser for the field.”

The event, Rivkin said, would be a scaled-down version of what the legion formerly hosted. Vendors, he added, would be limited to local organizations such as Jim Thorpe community groups, churches and scouting groups.

“We want this to truly be a hometown festival,” he said. “Sam Miller Field is a great spot, it works logistically and they are really trying to invest in their property.”

While the fireworks would be held in the Heights, Rivkin said the display will be able to be viewed on the east side of Jim Thorpe. The shells will be a maximum 3 inches, meaning they will go no higher than 300 feet.

Sam Miller Field has a small parking lot that can accommodate 80-90 cars, Rivkin said, but the rest will come down to available on-street parking spaces.

“I’m 100 percent in favor of having this at Sam Miller Field,” Councilwoman Edith Lukasevich said. “Those people are working harder than anyone right now.”

Rivkin said the fireworks show is expected to be about 25 minutes.

“We don’t want to create a false expectation,” he said. “We had to scale it down because of physical location and budget.”

July 6 is a target date for fireworks shows in many local communities, Rivkin said, and Jim Thorpe would likely land on the same night if council gives approval.

Council has a voting meeting on Thursday night and the Hometown Festival is on the agenda.

“We’re trying to get going on this because we’re behind the eight-ball,” Rivkin said of the planning process. “People usually have these types of events booked before the end of the previous year.”

Mayor Mike Sofranko said the borough would likely reach out to Penn Forest Township for fire police assistance. Jim Thorpe is still trying start to its own volunteer auxiliary police unit. This is an all-volunteer position that would support the Jim Thorpe Police Department with traffic and crowd control at community events, parades, fires, auto accidents and other emergencies.

“This is exactly the kind of event where we could use those individuals,” Sofranko said.

If you are interested in becoming a member please contact Police Chief Joe Schatz at 570-325-4995, ext. 322.