It's been anything but a slow news week in the Wildwoods, with re-opening date announcements for amusement and water parks, along with arcades, just in time for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Preceding these was confirmation that the annual Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular and subsequent Friday Night Fireworks shows will be taking place, but from a new launch location.
Since then, we've received a steady stream of questions from readers, asking why the fireworks shows are being moved from the longtime launch spot near Pine Avenue to the beach at Rio Grande Avenue, just south of the Wildwoods Convention Center.
We reached out to Patrick Rosenello, Executive Director of the Boardwalk Special Improvement District (SID), and mayor of North Wildwood, for the official word. He explained that the new set-up is specifically intended to provide maximum social distancing opportunities.
"I think it should be made very clear that the decision that was made was whether or not to move the fireworks location to Rio Grande Avenue or to cancel fireworks outright for the year," Rosenello said. "There was not an option to hold the fireworks at Pine Avenue this year due to social distancing requirements.
"Rio Grande Avenue offers a far greater opportunity for social distancing than does the Pine Avenue site. Rio Grande Avenue is not bordered on both sides by piers and the Boardwalk has no shops at this location. Thus, people will be able to spread out over the huge Wildwood and Wildwood Crest beaches, the Boardwalk, the Convention Center parking lots and even Fox Park.
"In addition, the fireworks are all high aerial fireworks, which means that they are visible across the entire island."
Friday Night Fireworks shows will begin on July 10 and continue through September 4.
Rosenello said that no decision has been made as to whether the launch site move to Rio Grande Avenue is a permanent one.
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