As fireworks light up the night’s sky over the Charles River on Thursday, the patriotic display, capping a festive evening at the Hatch Shell and Esplanade, will bear a new name: The Mugar Family Fireworks.
The title honors David Mugar, a businessman-turned-philanthropist who added the brilliant fireworks display at the end of the Fourth of July concerts in 1974. Mugar died in 2022, but his spirit lives on along the Charles.
A bronze statue of Mugar stands on the oval lawn in front of the Hatch Shell, inscribed with his iconic offering to his longtime friend Arthur Fiedler, the Boston Pops conductor who spearheaded the concerts in 1929.
“Mugar famously said ‘You bring the music, I’ll bring the fireworks,’” said Jan Devereux, senior director of public relations and communications for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
“For 50 years, this event has been one of the largest and most beloved July 4th celebrations in the country,” Devereux said Tuesday as public safety officials outlined protocols ahead of this year’s festivities, “and it remains free to the public. It is the BSO’s gift to Boston and beyond.”
Tony-winning actress Kelli O’Hara will headline the concert. Americana group The Mavericks, soul singer Darlene Love, and the Singing Sergeants from the United States Air Force Band are also set to take the stage.
Public safety and event officials anticipate hundreds of thousands of people flocking to the Esplanade rocking their red, white, and blue attire to celebrate America’s 248th birthday.
The iconic Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular begins at 8 p.m. and runs until around 11 when fireworks wrap up. Gates open at noon, and officials say they are ready for the day-long celebration.
After the gorgeous weather to start the week, the National Weather Service anticipates “a typical summertime pattern” to set up from Thursday through early next week “with very warm and humid conditions.” Though there’s “a risk of a few showers and t-storms,” meteorologists say dry conditions will likely prevail.
The forecast is a far cry from the wet, wild weather that forced the Massachusetts State Police to shut down entry to the Esplanade for several hours at last year’s celebration.
“People come to this special place year after year with their families and their friends to celebrate the birth of this great nation,” State Police interim Col. John Mawn said.
Before visitors go out to the Esplanade, officials recommend checking to see what items are and are not permissible. Small pop-up tents and canopies, blankets and tarps, beach chairs and coolers carried by strap are allowed inside, while coolers on wheels, backpacks, and weapons, among others, are not.
As of Tuesday morning, the FBI wasn’t aware of “any specific or credible threats targeting the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular or any other July 4th festivities,” said Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the bureau’s Boston division.
“That said, we must maintain a heightened state of vigilance given that we are home to many patriotic and historical landmarks, and this event is an attractive and symbolic target,” she said.
