July 4th waterfront gala appears likely

After a one-year hiatus becaise of the General Assembly's slashing of funding, a return of the traditional Fourth of July community celebration on the waterfront, complete with fireworks, is highly likely to return this summer, officials say.

All the details aren't ready to be announced, including which local corporation is likely to be the primary underwriter of the event and who would provide the music.

But "we have a very good feeling that there will be a one-day, musical event with fireworks that will be free and open to the public," said David Karem, executive director of the Waterfront Development Corp.

More details may be known soon, Karem said.

The 2014 Kentucky General Assembly provided zero state funding for the waterfront agency, after providing $420,000 a year for many years.

The funding reduction prompted the waterfront agency, among other cutbacks, to shelve the longstanding tradition of a free, two-day Fourth of July gala at Waterfront Park that featured fireworks and some major musical entertainment.

The two-day Waterfront Independence Festival, traditionally sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, often drew about 150,000 people over the two days. In 2013 the event ended up about $80,000 in the red — a sum the waterfront agency had to cover.

Karem said in an interview Tuesday that the restoration of a Fourth of July riverfront event this year "is not completely a done deal, but we are making great progress" in putting together the 2015 event.

On another matter, Karem said the waterfront board is expected soon to approve a staff recommendation to adopt a policy related to the recent installation of special lighting on the Big Four Bridge.

Karem said the policy calls for groups to pay $5,000 to have a tailored evening light show on the popular elevated cross-river walkway. The proceeds would be used to help maintain Waterfront Park.

For the $5,000 fee, the lights would be programmed by the lighting company, Vincent Lighting, to the specifications of the group, Karem said.

As an example, a high school with the school colors of green and gold could have the lighting programmed in those colors for one evening, perhaps on the night of the school's graduation.

The lighting system has the potential to be programmed in almost countless combinations of colors that are visible for a great distance both up and down river.

The lighting, which cost about $1.8 million, is on nightly from sunset until 1 a.m.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at (502) 582-7089. Follow him on Twitter at @sheldonshafer.