Bluffton's most asked question (after: "When in Halloween?") is: "Will there be fireworks?" This year is no exception. The Icon is already receiving emails and phone calls asking the fireworks question.

Here's the short answer:

Q: Will Bluffton have fireworks this summer?
A: Yes.

Q: When?
A: Tuesday, Aug. 2, at the Blufton Community Swimming Pool during National Night Out. (Same as in 2015.)

Here's the long answer:

In 2013 the Blufton Area Chamber of Commerce took over the fireworks project after a one-year fireworks absence. The tradition, set by the Bluffton-Pandora Rotary Club, included a Freedom Fest concluded with fireworks at Bluffton University held on the last weekend of June.

The club disbanded in 2012, leaving no fireworks the next summer. Due to the demand for fireworks, First National Bank offered to help restart the annual event.

With a significant donation by the bank, and leftover funds from the Rotary Club, the Bluffton chamber to pick up the project in 2014. That summer the fireworks took place again at Bluffton University.

Then, as an experiment, in 2015 the fireworks moved to the Bluffton Community Swimming Pool during National Night Out in August. The huge attendance of that event - plus the attendance of fire and police from Bluffton and Pandora already in place - made the the August date a perfect setting.

The National Night Out and fireworks are actually two distinctly separate events, but local police and the chamber work together on their specific pieces of the event.

The Bluffton and Pandora police departments handle the National Night Out activities. The chamber handles the fireworks. Raising funds for the fireworks is entirely by donation. Persons, businesses and organizations interested in donating may contact the chamber at [email protected].