The Mathews Fireworks Committee is gearing up for the annual July 4th Celebration and Fireworks Show, to be held on Thursday, July 4 at Mathews High School, with a rain date of Friday, July 5.

Entertainment will be by the popular band Rip Tide beginning at 6 p.m., with concessions by the Piankatank Ruritan Club. There will be overflow parking at Thomas Hunter Middle School, with a free shuttle bus. Fireworks will begin around 9:15 p.m.

Future in question

This could be the last year for the fireworks show if Mathews County doesn’t step up with funding in the future, organizers said.

After spending decades raising the money to put on an annual show that rivals well-funded fireworks displays in much larger localities, the small committee is drained. The work entails a nearly year-round commitment to hold fundraisers, send out letters seeking donations, approach businesses for raffle donations, and more, and the members just don’t want to have to do all of that anymore.

The...