The city of Osage Beach, a golf club in Camdenton and even a city in the state of Arkansas are all facing issues with their Fourth of July fireworks show, after hiring the same vendor from Springfield.
Osage Beach was forced to reschedule its Heart of the Lake FreedomFest from this Saturday to July 11. Lake Valley Golf Club in Camdenton was forced to fully cancel their fireworks show, according to a Facebook post from the business. A festival in Mountain Home, Arkansas originally cancelled their show last Saturday, but then put it back on after finding a different vendor.
All cities were using AM Pyrotechnics, a pyrotechnics company that went bankrupt in March, according to court records. A statement from AM Pyrotechnics said in part that the company had a tragic accident last November that significantly affected operations.
Federal records show that the city of Osage Beach and Lake Valley Golf Club had both paid AM Pyrotechnics to put on their Fourth of July fireworks shows.
The Heart of the Lake FreedomFest was rescheduled due to issues with the company contracted to provide fireworks for the event.
Even though it's taking place a week later, this will be the first Fourth of July fireworks show in Osage Beach in quite a while, according to Parks and Recreation Director Eric Gregory.
"The city hasn't done a fireworks show in many years," Gregory said. "We wanted to do something special, obviously, for the 250th anniversary of the country."
Gregory said planning for the show started after last year's Independence Day, but the problem started after AM Pyrotechnics stopped responding to Osage Beach.
"The communications stopped about three weeks ago," Gregory said. "Over that time, I reached out continually through emails, text messages and phone calls up until Monday of this week. I even drove down to the facility in Buffalo, Missouri."
Lake Valley Golf Club said on Facebook that they were only recently told that AM Pyrotechnics wouldn't be able to provide fireworks for their planned fireworks display.
"With only days remaining before July 4, and with the display already prepaid, Lake Valley is unfortunately unable to secure another fireworks show in time," the business said.
The rescheduled Heart of the Lake FreedomFest will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. at Osage Beach City Park on July 11. The firework display will begin at 9 p.m. and last about 20 minutes, according to the city's website.
Residents told KOMU 8 that the temporary postponement of the show isn't dampening their excitement for it.
"It's a shame that it couldn't be on the Fourth of July," one community member said. "(But) that's ok that it's going to be a week late... with plenty of fireworks around that will satisfy all the folks around."
Last month, the city of Osage Beach announced it was cancelling its Fourth of July parade, which usually takes place on July 4.
