For the village's annual Fourth of July festivities, a fireworks display will take place at sundown — around 9–9:30 p.m. — at Gaunt Park. (News archive photo)
YS Chamber of Commerce seeks Fourth of July funds
- Published: July 1, 2025
Each year, Gaunt Park fills with the sounds and sights of the annual fireworks display in honor of the July 4 holiday. A longtime tradition, the fireworks were hosted by the local Odd Fellows Lodge until 2023, when the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce took on the financial responsibility of hosting the annual event.
At Village Council’s June 16 meeting, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Phillip O’Rourke approached the group to apprise members of the need for additional partners to fund the fireworks, which cost $10,000 annually.
“This beloved tradition is at risk,” O’Rourke said in his remarks to Council.
Since taking over the funding for the event, the Chamber of Commerce has received some support through in-kind donations from the Village Public Works Department, Yellow Springs Police Department and Miami Township.
“We really appreciate that level of support,” O’Rourke said in a recent interview with the News, “But I would like to see Council value [the fireworks] as a signature event, giving financial sponsorship.”
O’Rourke said the Chamber is also looking to the broader community, including local businesses, to partner with the Chamber to sponsor the event.
“We have had some generous donations from US Bank and the Yellow Springs Community Foundation, who have joined us as Gaunt sponsors,” O’Rourke said. “But we would like to open it up for more community participation.”
In addition to receiving a “thank you” for sponsoring the event, O’Rourke said local businesses and community organizations would benefit from the marketing value that the Chamber can offer.
“We hope to incentivize some of our local businesses,” O’Rourke said. “We want both people and businesses to see the value of their own contributions.”
Speaking of contributions, O’Rourke said he hopes that community members are all able to find a way to see themselves in the day’s events.
“I think it would be phenomenal to see more of the organizations that power, support and amplify the village be paraded down the street.” O’Rourke said. “What better way to show out and say ‘hello’ to the community?”
An alumni of Yellow Springs High School, O’Rourke said the tradition of the Fourth of July parade and fireworks is both a celebration of a national holiday and a reunion for alumni and families in the village.
“There really is something magical about Gaunt Park,” O’Rourke said. “For me, it’s super nostalgic. It’s the quintessential place for community.”
In that spirit, O’Rourke said he hopes the community will continue to find ways to financially contribute to the event.
“We know that people don’t want to say ‘no’” O’Rourke said. “So we decided to make a direct, public appeal in hopes that there will be more participation from the entities that benefit most.”
To become a sponsor of the Fourth of July event, contact the Chamber of Commerce through their website yschamber.org/contact-us/ or by phone at 937-767-2686.
The annual Fourth of July festivities will be held on Friday, July 4, beginning with a parade at noon. Participants will line up on Herman Street near Miami Township fire station and parade down Xenia Avenue to Corry Street.
Vendors and food trucks will open at Gaunt Park at 6 p.m. and a performance by the Community Band will take place at 8 p.m. The fireworks will begin at dark, between 9:30 and 10 p.m.
*Jessica Thomas is a mother, a villager and a teacher at Thurgood Marshall HS in Dayton. She can be reached at jessicathomasraska@gmail.com.
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