The Wauwatosa Civic Celebration Commission voted March 26 to pursue a partnership with Wisconsin Lutheran College to host the Independence Day celebration at the college's sports complex atop a hill just off Swan Boulevard.
After two years without a July 4 fireworks display in Wauwatosa, city leaders were facing pressure to bring the show back in 2026. Then on Jan. 30, their latest plans hit a new roadblock.
The city has a $25,000 contract for fireworks in celebration of the country’s 250th birthday, according to the Civic Celebration Commission, but it remains uncertain whether fireworks will be feasible in 2026.
City leaders now think it may be possible to stage the fireworks program on Swan Boulevard where it crosses the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's retention ponds, just south of Hoyt Park.
Wauwatosa Civic Celebration Commission members were optimistic that a partnership with West Allis would produce an even more spectacular fireworks display for both communities while crucially alleviating concerns in Tosa over public safety, staffing and cost.
