Fourth Of July Fireworks Back On In Oak Forest

OAK FOREST, IL — Oak Forest will once again see sparks fly on the Fourth of July.

The City Council last week approved an expenditure of $40,000 for a fireworks display, to be hosted by the Oak Forest Veterans Commission at the end of its Independence Day Picnic.

The 30-minute display will be designed and put on by Mad Bombers Fireworks Productions, a company behind similar displays in the area, the commission told the council prior to the vote.

The picnic is held on the Oak Forest Park District's main campus. The fireworks will take place after live music performances end around 9:30 p.m. Parking will be available at 157th and Long.

The City sought bids for the display in October 2023. Mad Bombers was the sole company to submit a proposal, the commission said.

The July 4, 2024 display will be the first since the termination of Oak Fest, the annual festival that ended in 2019, confirmed Oak Forest Communications Director Chrissy Maher. The fest was canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with its organizers then permanently disbanding afterward.

Officials will provide additional details on the show as they become available.