Poor economy, lack of funds leave July 4 celebrations iffy

Given an economic downturn that has crippled many municipal budgets and fund-raising efforts, other communities announced they are canceling Independence Day festivities.

Earlier this year, Lowell eliminated its budget for the firework display, which usually costs about $50,000, including security, cleanup, and other expenses, said City Manager Bernard F. Lynch. “It just wasn’t something that was doable in the coming fiscal year,’’ he said.

But the Greater Lowell Community Foundation recently solicited enough funds - more than $40,000 - to have fireworks Friday night, said John C. Thibault, the foundation’s executive director.

“It’s such a big community event here, not just for Lowell but for the surrounding communities,’’ Thibault said.

As communities try to preserve tradition, the state is lending a hand.

The secretary of state’s office launched a new Web page last week to keep people posted about July Fourth events in and around their towns and cities.

“Because of the economic slowdown, a lot of people are looking for free events,’’ said Secretary of State William F. Galvin in a phone interview. “There was no single place for them to go to get that information.’’

The website might encourage businesses, civic groups, and individuals in areas that have canceled programs to organize ad hoc events such as small block parties at local playgrounds, Galvin said.

“It sounds rather trite . . . but those are the things that childhood memories are made of,’’ he said.

A link to the page can be found on Galvin’s official website. He said he encourages people to call with corrections or information about new events.

“Nothing would make me happier if a community called and said, ‘Hey, we’re doing something, let us go on your website,’ ’’ he said.

Some communities are still raising funds for Saturday’s events, while others are either settling for modest celebrations or none at all.

In Lowell, Thibault said the fireworks will cost between $43,000 and $45,000. “Because it was important to the community, the community stepped up,’’ he said.

But if there is a shortfall, Lynch said it should be minimal and the city would pick it up.

“We’ll make it work,’’ he said.

But in other towns, despite their histories of vibrant Independence Day celebrations, prospects do not look so rosy.

With New Bedford officials unable to find the $20,000 needed to pay for the fireworks in the city’s budget, Mayor Scott Lang postponed the event until later this summer, when private contributions can fund the display. Once fund-raising is complete, city officials will set a new date.

“I didn’t want anyone to count on it for this weekend and have it not come through,’’ Lang said. “So I thought we’d be better off doing it later in the year, at another one of our summer festivals, and raise the money in advance.’’

Lang said a fireworks show on a day other than Fourth of July could be a boon to city finances, drawing crowds from outside New Bedford to watch.

Ipswich is forgoing its usual ticketed show with live music and a fireworks display at the Crane estate this year. The Trustees of Reservations informed the town over the winter that it could no longer afford to organize the program, said Elizabeth Kilcoyne, a member of the town’s board of selectmen.

Peter J. Pinciaro, general manager of the estate, said the Trustees had to cancel the $45,000 program for the first time since they began organizing it in 1980.

“As the economy was beginning to sour we had some fairly dramatic drops in our fund-raising,’’ he said. “Our endowment has not performed well over the last six months.’’

Pinciaro said people had already complained about the $20 admission fee, which was not enough to cover the costs. The organization gave the town ample notice, he said, in case someone wanted to sponsor the event but no one stepped up.

Kilcoyne said her family and friends would often sail offshore to watch the fireworks. This year, she plans to watch them in Boston.

“It’s certainly going to be disappointing not to have fireworks in Ipswich,’’ she said.

Globe correspondent Matt Collette contributed to this report. Nandini Jayakrishna can be reached at njayakrishna@globe.com.