Milwaukee County Parks was “happy to help” in November when a member of the Wauwatosa Civic Celebration Commission emailed about the city’s latest plan for a July 4 celebration marking the 250th birthday of the United States.
City officials were scrambling. After two years without a July 4 fireworks display in Wauwatosa and facing pressure to bring the show back in 2026, their options had dwindled. Hart Park likely would never again host fireworks because of concerns over public safety and potential damage to property. By November, the Civic Celebration Commission was mobilizing for a new launch site on Swan Boulevard just south of the county’s Hoyt Park and next to County Grounds Park.
“The Wauwatosa Police Department, Fire Department, and Department of Public Works are all aligned with this location and prepared to coordinate event operations, with public safety as our top priority,” Matt Wicker, a Civic Celebration Commission member, said in a Nov. 4 email to Milwaukee County Parks that was among dozens of emails obtained by Tosa Forward News through an open records request.
“Thank you for reaching out. I am happy to help,” Andrew Krueger, County Parks’ special events manager, emailed back on Nov. 14 to explain the county’s permitting process.
On Jan. 30, however, those plans hit a new roadblock when Krueger sent a follow-up message to Wicker indicating the county was not in favor of launching fireworks next to park property.
“After further discussion, we have significant concerns with using this site,” Krueger wrote. “Unfortunately, accommodating the event at this location is not feasible due to a number of factors, including environmental and contractual constraints.”
Tosa Forward News obtained and reviewed 71 emails sent in 2026 by local officials for this report on how the Swan Boulevard plans fell apart and what city leaders have discussed to salvage a July 4 fireworks show. The emails were contained in a 960-page document provided on March 18 in response to the open records request. The text of an additional five emails from November also were included. The size of the city document was due largely to the extended reply threads that were duplicated within the 76 emails.
Parties to the emails included City Administrator James Archambo, Fire Chief Barbara Kadrich, Police Chief James MacGillis, Public Works Director David Simpson and Communications Manager Eva Ennamorato. Taken together, the emails detail the city’s initial steps toward a Swan Boulevard launch site and then, after the county raised objections, a monthlong dash by the commission and numerous city officials to confirm a suitable location. By the end of February, the commission was at a loss as to how to proceed while still researching options.
When the volunteer Civic Celebration Commission met again on March 12, members indicated they may be running out of time to finalize a plan. The city already signed a $25,000 contract with the Green Bay-based Spielbauer Fireworks Co., and a cancellation could leave the city on the hook for at least a portion of that fee. Tosa Forward News also obtained a copy of the Spielbauer Fireworks Co. contract, which is available here.
The commission is hoping for greater clarity on its path forward at its next scheduled meeting, at 7 p.m. March 26 at City Hall.
Past Tosa Forward News articles on the commission’s fireworks discussions are available for free to all subscribers here. The rest of the report below details the interactions contained in the 76 emails, and that portion of the story is being provided exclusively to the site’s paid members.
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