Should North Aurora move its fireworks display?

Where would you like to see North Aurora's fireworks in the next few years?

This year the village is moving the annual show to village owned property about 100 yards west of Randall Road on Orchard Gateway from its previous location at Clock Tower Plaza on Randall Road and Oak Street.

The show will start at approximately 9 tonight.

Village Trustee Mark Gaffino is the fireworks committee co-chair this year along with Trustee Bob Strusz.

"We had to make some adjustments this year with the new location. Spectators can park in the JC Penney parking lot after the store closes at 8 o'clock," Gaffino said. "And we aren't having the American Legion Band playing this year," he added.

Gaffino said the village has allocated $20,000 for the fireworks this year. The Mad Bomber is handling the Fourth of July display and Johnny Rocket Fireworks has been hired to do the North Aurora Days fireworks, he said.

The Oak Street widening has given the village a chance to try out new locations for North Aurora's summer events this year, and the past success of North Aurora Days might mean the August fest might just outgrow its Clock Tower location and have to find a new home.

North Aurora Days festivities will be at the site of the village's new police station on Airport Road and Route 31 in August this year, Gaffino said.

"With success comes growth," Gaffino said. "In the future we might even consider shuttle busses heading out to neighborhoods and bringing people to and from North Aurora Days," he suggested.

The North Aurora Days fireworks scheduled for the first weekend in August will originate from land just east of Valley Green Golf Course, Gaffino said.

Last year my family didn't want to fight the crowds and we met some neighbors in the open area across the street from our house.

We positioned ourselves so that if we looked a little to our right we could see the North Aurora fireworks from Clock Tower Plaza and if the trees weren't in the way we could also see the Batavia display from Batavia High School.

And we also caught sight of Aurora's fireworks from the IMSA campus, and sharp eyes spotted the usual spectacular display from Cougar Stadium in Geneva.

We certainly were treated with a quantity of fireworks, but our position on Orchard Road didn't allow us to get a lot of the bang of sitting close by the launching zone.

We might have to move a little closer this year to get more for our ears and eyes. But it sure is nice picking up our chairs and blankets and bug spray and being home before everyone else has found their cars.

Where is your favorite place to see the fireworks? What would you like to see North Aurora do with its annual July and August displays?

If you live east of the Fox River, do you come across town to see the fireworks or go to see fireworks in other towns?

Westsiders, would you travel across the river if the village set up the show on the other side of town?

Send a note to me at mckozik@comcast.net and I'll pass on your comments in a later column.