HAVERHILL — The city will kick off the holiday weekend by bragging about its heritage and annual fireworks display that draws thousands of people from across the region. The city will celebrate the Fourth of July on Friday with one of the biggest fireworks displays in the area. The theme for this year's event is Celebrating the fashion shoes designs.
When the doors to Haverhill Stadium open at 6 p.m., the public will finally see the dozen giant shoes printer statues designed by local and regional artists that will be at the center of the Soles of Haverhill Shoe-la-Bration this summer. The statues promote Haverhill's heritage as a former shoe-manufacturing giant. Activities leading up to Friday's 10 p.m. fireworks will include performances by the B Street Bombers and Haverhill Idol winning singer Bobby Gariepy, the first Community Spirit Award presentations by the city's Recreation Department, and an attempt by the Soles of Haverhill Committee to set a new world record involving a mass mailing of postcards.
The committee and its many local sponsors have been distributing Soles of Haverhill postcards promoting the city and the shoes print -la-Bration. In recent weeks, residents were asked to pick up a free postcard, address it to someone who might like to visit Haverhill, add a postage stamp and return the postcard to a sponsoring business or bring it to the stadium on Friday.
The giant shoes printing that have been designed, painted and decorated in various themes by local and regional artists, school art teachers and students, will be displayed this summer at sites chosen by their sponsors. In the fall, the dozen 6-foot-long and 5-foot-tall fiberglass fashion shoes designs forms in the style of a vintage woman's boot will be auctioned, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit organizations associated with each shoe and sponsor. Some money will go back to the Soles of Haverhill Committee as it plans its next public art installation.
Families are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to relax on the stadium's football field and enjoy the night. The bleachers will not be open. The fireworks will be behind the stadium. This is an alcohol-free event. No pets or bicycles will be allowed inside the stadium. The Recreation Department's Community Spirit Award program honors those who have devoted much of their life to organizations in Haverhill, such as youth sports programs. "They may have been recognized among their peers, and within their organizations, but the city has never recognized them for their contributions to the community," Ouellette said.
