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Music, food, fireworks... check!  Community Council officials estimate that over 3,000 people flooded Myers Park Saturday to celebrate the nation's independence.  This was the first year of the event, and by most measures it exceeded the council's expectations. There was only one downside, and in a sense it was that they were too successful.  The problem was traffic control.

The Community Council hosts the annual Lansing Harbor Festival every August.  The idea of fireworks was first raised for that festival as organizers continually solicit input for features people want to see added to the all-day event.  This year the Community Council decided that the Independence Day weekend would be a better venue, especially since it was uncertain whether the Community Fireworks, that until last year was an annual event at Ithaca College, would take place at all this year.


The Lansing Community Council is made up entirely of volunteers who have been involved in funneling United Way donations to over a half dozen Lansing programs, raising additional monies for worthy local programs including the Lansing Food Pantry, schools and the library, raised money and volunteer power to reassemble the historic North Log Cabin and the myers Park Playground project (MP3), provide live music for last year's Lion's Club 4th of July Chicken barbecue, and the Harbor Festival.

While ambitious, adding a fireworks event was deemed doable.  Two bands would be hired.  The Lansing Tops Market would sell food for folks who didn't bring their own picnic, and a professional fireworks provider would take care of the grand finale.  Organizers said all along that the event would be kept to a modest scale as a trial run to see whether the community wanted its own fireworks event.


If you were there you know that most people were very happy to be there.  Adults and children danced to the music of Backtalk Band and the Ithaca Dixieland jazz Band, and the Tops booth did great business, eventually selling out.  The Community Council, Lansing Lions, and Cooperative Extension all had booths.  People spread out all around the park, and boaters found prime fireworks watching positions on Cayuga lake.  Donations exceeded the amount needed for this year's event, providing a healthy nest egg for next year's fireworks.


Organizers don't have a count, but they and others estimate that more than three thousand people made it into the park.  The entrance to the park was closed when it filled up, and even more cars lined Myers Road, Portland Point, and sections of East Shore Drive to find good spots for viewing the fireworks.

When the show was over a combination of getting a larger than expected number of people out of the park was exacerbated by the cars lining Myers Road and East Shore Drive.  Inside the park traffic was literally at a standstill for an hour after the fireworks had concluded.

The overall success of the event prompted some organizers to consider fireworks for Lansing Harbor Festival as well, but that idea was nixed at Tuesday's meeting.


While fundraising is a major part of the council's purpose, members are ever mindful of the 'community' piece.  They see this first venture into fireworks as a learning experience, and promise a bigger and better -- and better organized fireworks event for next year.

At a postmortem meeting Tuesday Community Council members discussed the traffic problem and possible solutions.  Organizers say that a detailed traffic plan will be in place for next year's fireworks that will include closer coordination with the Tompkins County Sheriff's Department, limited parking on Myers Road and other locations that caused a major traffic jam last weekend, providing overflow parking at the school campus and providing bus service between the school parking lots and the park, and making the park entrance one way at the end of the evening, allowing two lanes of traffic that can flow out both sides of Myers Road onto 34B.

With overwhelming community support for Saturday's event, planners say they will likely spring for a more expensive, and therefore extensive fireworks show for next year, cementing fireworks as a new Lansing tradition.

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