A local businessman has decided Fourth of July won’t go out without a bang.
Brent Tilson, president and CEO at Tilson HR in Greenwood, announced Thursday the company will put on its own fireworks show for the community after the city canceled its annual Freedom Festival.
The idea came to Tilson as he was thinking about ways to improve morale among clients and employees as they continue to socially distance. A fireworks show is what the staff came up with, he said.
“When I found everything had been canceled, I felt bad for us as a community. It is like Christmas without Santa Claus. It would feel weird for the kids to not have something,” Tilson said.
His hope is that the fireworks show will keep the spirit of Independence Day alive and allow the community to come together while staying apart, he said.
The show, set for 10 p.m. July 5, will take place at the Swartz family farm, on the southeast corner of State Road 135 and Stones Crossing Road, near Franciscan Health. The location, a short distance from many neighborhoods, was chosen so as many residents as possible can watch the show from home, Tilson said.
For those who choose to gather to watch in parking lots or fields nearby, he encourages residents to remember to socially distance and use caution if multiple groups gather in one location.
Tilson has hired Ramsey Pyrotechnics, which also puts on displays for Conner Prairie in Fishers and during Indianapolis Indians baseball games. So, viewers will get to experience a high-quality, big shell display like they typically would at the Freedom Festival, he said.
One difference is that it won’t be set to music due to the speed in which it was set up, he said.
For Tilson, whose family has lived in Johnson County for 200 years, keeping the American spirit ignited is especially important this year, he said.
“Part of the reason I wanted to do the show is we’ve been locked down so long for this pandemic, we are now starting to be more independent,” Tilson said. “I did it to be independent while celebrating our independence.”
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What: Public fireworks show in Greenwood
Where: Southeast corner of State Road 135 and Stones Crossing Road
When: 10 p.m., July 5
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