No flash in the pan
Assembling Peabody’s unique fireworks for Fourth is a family affair of long standing
Staff writer
July 4 will be the 104th annual firework show in Peabody, and Jay Gfeller, chairman of the Peabody Fourth of July Celebration Society (commonly known as Peabody Fourth Fest), thinks things are coming along nicely.
“We’re building the display pieces and stuff,” Gfeller said. “I’d say we’re probably about 75% finished, which is sitting pretty good with about a week and a half left.”
The board of Fourth Fest is responsible for planning and building traditional ground displays. It is a craft passed down through generations.
“Just one of those traditions,” Gfeller said.
Family members are relied upon as extra hands come June, and over the years, many children have replaced their parents as volunteers.
Thirty to forty volunteers come out to set up the final build the day of.
Ground displays, where technicolor sparks alight just above the grass at the city park, always draw a crowd. Given that July 4 is a Friday this year, Gfeller estimated at least 5,000 would attend.
“There’s not a lot of places that do the ground displays anymore,” he said. “It’s an artwork that’s kind of phased out over the years. We pride ourselves on still carrying on that tradition and doing the aerial firework show along with it.”
Fireworks are kept in a secure location until July 4. A licensed person watches over them 24/7, Gfeller said.
While there is little record of the first July 4 celebrations in Peabody, Gfeller said ground fireworks likely have been lit for over a century.
The celebration originally was run by the city but came into its own in 1940, when Peabody Chamber of Commerce gave Quintis “Jack” Whistler $100 — roughly $2,200 in today’s money — to organize and improve the display in 1940.
Over the years, Whistler became famous for his elaborate and extravagant fireworks. He brought thousands to the county every Independence Day, with the crowd peaking at 40,000 in 1961 (though it should be said this figure comes from Whistler’s own notes).
After Peabody’s centennial celebration in 1971, Whistler wrote in a family history book that his fireworks were “the greatest pyrotechnic show anywhere. We had set pieces and fired more than 200 aerial bombs.”
The Battle of New Orleans display was introduced in 1971. A final barrage of fireworks are lit to the tune of Johnny Horton’s country classic.
The original battle display used 12 nine-inch bombs, 50 ten-ball candles, 10 mortars, and more than 4,000 shots. It has remained a fixture of the event since.
Fourth Fest reorganized into a non-profit a little more than five years ago. It continues to raise money through local businesses and individuals, rather than the city.
This year, specialty fireworks in the works include a Minecraft-inspired firework and a firework honoring Travis Flasschoen, a Peabody native who died in an auto accident in June, 2024.
Tickets for Peabody Fourth Fest, located at the city park, are $5 in advance or at the gate. Children 3 and younger get in free.
Fourth Fest will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a 5-kilometer walk and run.
At 8 a.m., there will be a horseshoe tournament (at a cost of $20 per team), followed by turtle races at 9 a.m. A cornhole tournament is scheduled for 11 a.m.
The city pool will be open beginning at 1 p.m. for swimming and games. An ice cream social from 2 to 4 p.m. in Vintage Bank Park will be sponsored by Peabody Historical Society. At 5 p.m., a parade will march down Walnut St.
At dusk, the fireworks will begin.