For immediate release                                                    For more information

June 21, 2010                                                                   City Communications Office   485-3110

July 4th Fireworks Show Moved

to Victoria Mall

(Victoria, Texas)  The 2010 Miller Lite Blast Off will be held at the Victoria Mall on Sunday, July 4, 2010. Victoria’s traditional fireworks event will light up the Victoria sky with fireworks and fill the ears with thunderous explosions.  The event is free of charge and co-sponsored by Hartman Distributing of Victoria, the Victoria Mall and the Victoria Parks and Recreation Department.

The event has been moved to the Victoria Mall for better security, lighting and facilities, and to protect the $12 million Youth Sports Complex. Thousands of people are expected to attend and fill up the mall parking lot.

“The Community Center grounds served us well for years but with the new Youth Sports Complex now open next door, we needed a new location,” said Doug Cochran, Parks Director. “The Youth Sports Complex is in the fireworks fall zone and the canvas shading and roofing are at risk from falling fireworks.”

Cochran cited several major advantages to moving the event to the mall.

“The mall parking area is huge and well-lit, has 3,400 paved parking spaces, and it is much easier to manage traffic flow in and out of the area,” Cochran said. “It is safer, drier and the traffic can arrive and depart much easier than the Community Center grounds.”

Honeybrowne, an Austin country/rock band will begin playing at 6:30 p.m. and the fireworks display begins at dark. The band and food vendors will be set up in the J.C. Penney parking area at the north side of the mall parking lot. The mall will close at 6 p.m. that evening and parking is available anywhere in the mall parking lot except the Cinemark parking lot.

For more information, contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 485-3200.

City Closings for July 4th

All non-emergency city offices will be closed Monday, July 5, 2010 to observe Independence Day.  Garbage, yard waste and limbs will be collected Monday, July 5. The landfill and the compost site will be open during normal hours.

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