Here are some questions that are frequently asked about the fireworks. Answers come from our Fireworks Chair, Jill Doczi. Jill has been the organizer of the fireworks since 2011.

Why can’t the fireworks show be on July 3, 4 or 5? 
We have been informed by the Fire Marshal that we would not receive a permit for July 3 or 4 due to staffing constraints. A fire marshal must be on site for the duration of loading, set up and the show. To have it on July 5,our show would have to begin loading  early on July 4 posing the same city staffing issue.

Why don’t we have people stationed at the beach accesses to collect money from those who attend but don’t live in the neighborhood or from neighbors who forgot but may donate on the spot? We place donation signs at each beach access with a QR code for this purpose. Having people collecting cash would not only be unsafe for the volunteers, would also be impossible to track, and sadly could open us up to theft. We discourage cash donations in general so we can provide accountability. 

Why don’t we collect donations from the high rises and Westminster Canterbury?  We already do. The organizing communities for the show are Baylake Pines and Ocean Park. We collect from every household in Ocean Park including Pelican Dunes, Chesapeake House, Bay Vista, 3556 on the Bay, Aeries on the Bay, Water Oaks and Three Ships Landing. Additional communities like Chesapeake Beach and Westminster help through donations and we thank them for their support.

Why can’t we collect earlier? Great idea! We can start promoting earlier through all our communication channels. Donations are welcomed at any time through the fireworks page on our website. We don’t distribute envelopes earlier because regardless of when we put them on mailboxes, most donations start coming in June. If we distribute too early, the envelopes get set aside and forgotten or lost. 

Could we have a drone show?
I have checked multiple years on this. We would never get a permit because of FAA and proximity to the airport. We wouldn’t get a city permit because it would require taking over and closing the public beach to beachgoers for days during setup and breakdown. The cost is in the six figures on a normal year. There are only X amount of drones to be used at any given time. You can’t just order more cheaply or easily for one day of use. We would need a LOT of drones to be seen from up and down the beach. They work best in smaller viewing situations, like stadiums. The ideal viewing area for a drone show is 500-1,000 feet from the launch site. We have miles of viewing area. Maybe someday all those complications will change? I keep checking. At this point though, drone show is not an option, financially or logistically.

In case of bad weather: If the barge leaves the dock, the fireworks will go off. It is the captain’s call on the barge’s movement. There is the option of waiting a bit or shooting early if there are random storms. If there is something bad enough (wind or rain) that we cancel, then money goes toward next year. Watch the OPCL.org website for updates!! In the past It was too long a process to secure all the needed permission and permits from police, rescue and fire depts to be able to have a rain date.

We hold a permit for a privately funded, community event. We pay for this event through individual donations, so in consideration of the residential communities along the bay that allow us to put this together each year, we never share or promote it to the larger community.

DISCLAIMER: All donations are accepted under the consideration of current federal, state and local permitting and vendor safety precautions. If there are any unforeseen changes in guidelines, conditions, mandates or rules, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Virginia Beach Department of Public Health/Virginia Department of Health, or any cancellations from licensing organizations or event vendors that would require us to postpone this event, it will be rescheduled when appropriate and previous donations will be applied to the rescheduled event. There should be NO expectation of refunds.

Fireworks tradition!

DONATE HERE!

Our shows are spectacular!

A Little History about our Ocean Park Fireworks

In the past, Shore Drive residents paid for and shot off individual fireworks along the beaches on the Fourth of July. It was huge fun. While spectacular to watch, it was also unregulated and unsafe.

In 2009 the Virginia Beach Fire Marshal launched an effort to stop amateur fireworks on the Fourth of July. It succeeded with heavy patrolling, enforcement and penalties—ending personal fireworks on our beaches that year.

The following year in 2010, our former civic league president Rick Mercadante organized the first legal, professional show using a pyrotechnic company and the fireworks were set off from the beach. The City, satisfied, ended heavy patrolling on the holiday.

After a few years, changes in permit and safety requirements, plus the loss of beach, required that the show become a barge show in 2012. To offset the cost of fuel and barge rental, some Bayfront civic leagues joined forces rather than see fireworks on the Fourth end. A more central location was chosen with Coast Guard approval. The current show is constantly fine-tuned to accommodate the wishes of all neighborhoods. Please know that you support fireworks through donations to the show. Also know that if you don’t let your civic league know you want a fireworks show, it can be voted out each year. Active participation in your community provides events like these for you, your family and friends to enjoy.

Participating communities:
Baylake Pines and Ocean Park including Pelican Dunes, Chesapeake House, Bay Vista, 3356 on the Bay, Aeries on the Bay, Water Oaks, Three Ships Landing. Westminster Canterbury also makes a generous donation.

2010 July 4. Show fired from the beach
2011 July 4 Show fired from the beach
2012 July 4 first show shot from the a barge (2009 was the explosion on Ocracoke that caused a bunch of new laws regarding the loading of fireworks of a certain quantity and size. Then 9/11 sealed the deal on background checks, training, security and advanced safety precautions. )
2013 July 4 the barge mishap that caused a 20-minute intermission before resuming the show
2014 July 4 rescheduled moved to July 12 Tropical Storm Arthur
2015 July 4 rescheduled moved to July 5 due to thunderstorms
2016 July 3
2017 July 3
2018 July 3
2019 July 3
2020 (Covid) we were denied the permit from the Coast Guard, as was the city, because they are a federal agency and had to follow federal distancing guidelines.
2021 July 3
2022 July 2 ( beach replenishment)
2023 July 1
2024 July 6
2025 July 6

If you love the fireworks and are grateful to have such a beautiful show right in our neighborhood, we need all donations, however small!! All monies collected go only toward fireworks!

• If we don’t raise the money, we don’t have a show.
• No money comes from general civic league funds- our budget is too limited. And this event is for the enjoyment of all not just civic league members! HUGE amount of resources from the civic leagues goes into organizing!!
• No money comes from City of Virginia Beach.
• Average amount: $20-$100 per household.
• No amount too small!

1. You can make a donation with a credit card at Cheddar Up: Donate to OPCL Fireworks on Cheddarup.com
2. You can donate using PayPal: Donate to OPCL Fireworks on PayPal
3. If you prefer to mail a check, make it out to “OPCL FIREWORKS”
   • OPCL, Fireworks
   • PO Box 55385
   • Virginia Beach, VA 23471

Please consider joining the Ocean Park Civic League! Annual membership is $25 per household. We depend on your support! Go to: opcl.org/aboutopcl/joinopcl/