Bay County Scanner Feed

(07/06/19) - The Bay City Fireworks is one of many festivals this summer, and along with Tall Ships, it ranks right up at the top. "It's been going on for so long, and it's a three-day event. There's fireworks three nights, there's bands playing, the carnival is here, there's rides, there's something for everybody. Whether you're young, you're old, you're a child, grandparents, there's something for everybody to do," Wendy Revette said. Revette is the owner and manager of Gatsby's Seafood & Steakhouse. The Festival not only brings out the locals, but also people from all over the country. "In Arizona, fireworks are kind of hard to come by. With the heat there, they don't launch them very often, and we have a lot of restrictions there. I think the biggest thing is Bay City puts on the best fireworks show we've ever seen," Brett Montgomery said. Montgomery is visiting from Surprise, AZ. Siblings Gerard Kerbleski and Mary Jane Kerbleski-Restani traveled from New Mexico. They grew up in Bay City, and their annual family reunion revolves around the Bay City Fireworks Festival. "We've been all around the country, all around the world, and it's pretty amazing that this town can put on a fireworks display like this," Kerbleski said. His sister, Mary Jane added, "Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta every day of the festival has them at night, and we can see them from our backyard, but it's not like being here on the river so close." Much like the festival helps bring people to businesses, businesses help bring jobs to the community. "Nobody's wanting today off. Nobody's begging to have the weekend off. It's a long summer for everybody, but they know this is a good time of the year for them, so they don't have too many requests for time off. Sometimes, they're fighting for hours," Revette said. As businesses continue to grow, downtown Bay City continues to flourish. "There's always something to do here. Great little shops, places to antique, do some shopping, have lunch, great hotels to stay in, so yeah, Bay City is happening," Revette said. The three-day festival concluded Saturday night with a 36-minute show. The festival will continue next year from July 2-July 4, 2020.