The City of Alamogordo’s annual July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza, a community tradition for 38 years, is scheduled for Monday, July 4th. The show is one of the largest in the state. Museum members have the opportunity to tailgate in the museum’s parking lot and enjoy live music along with the fireworks show.
“The Fireworks Extravaganza is a tribute to our community and the pride that we have in our country,” said New Mexico Museum of Space History Executive Director Chris Orwoll. The theme for this year’s show honors Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, who is slated to be inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in October. Museum staff has been working closely with choreographers from PyroShows of Texas, the company producing the event, to create a unique mix of music and sounds to complement the fireworks. “Whether you view the show from the museum grounds, or from your backyard, we highly encourage everyone to tune into the choreographed music on KZZX 105.3 FM,” said Orwoll.
New this year, museum members and VIPs will be able to enter the museum grounds early from 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm. Non-members with passes will enter at 6:30 pm. Also, an additional traffic lane will be added in order for volunteers and police to delineate between members and non-members. Members and VIPs with yellow parking passes will use the marked “yellow” traffic lane, while non-members with passes will use the marked “blue” traffic lane. Once on the museum grounds, volunteers will direct vehicles to the appropriate parking areas. Museum staff and volunteers coordinated with the Alamogordo Police Department and City Services to make the changes.
“You can enjoy the show from the comfort of your lawn chair right next to your car. Each vehicle gets one pass, which translates to two parking spaces, one for the car and one for the party,” said Cathy Harper, museum marketing director. The parking passes are a benefit of the premium museum membership levels and are also available as an add-on for standard members. Membership forms are available on the museum website or at the museum reception desk. Harper said, “The invitation to attend our annual fireworks display is probably one of the favorite benefits of Foundation members. It’s a wonderful evening of family relaxation, and you can’t get any better seats to the show!”
A live band kicks off the festivities at 7:00 pm. Gleewood, a southern New Mexico favorite, will be playing a mix of classic rock and country along with a few of their own songs. Tailgating in the museum’s parking lots is allowed. Charcoal grills and personal fireworks are not permitted. Propane grills and sparklers are allowed.
The Fireworks show will begin at approximately 9:15 pm; all events are weather permitting with a back-up date of July 5. Choreographed music to complement the fireworks program will be carried live on KZZX Radio, 105.3 FM, through the support of Burt Broadcasting.
Entry onto the museum grounds will begin at 6:00 pm for members, with overflow parking in the NMSU-A Science Center lot. Additional parking will be available at the Tays Special Events Center and the smaller student parking lot on the West side of Scenic Drive. People in the overflow parking lots should be aware that there are no tailgating, fireworks or alcohol allowed on university property. The public is also asked to clean up their parking area after the show.
The museum grounds will be closed to the public beginning at 5:00 pm on July 4th. Only those with museum Member Parking Passes will be allowed onto the museum grounds at 6:00 pm, followed by non-members with passes at 6:30. The road to the museum will close at 8:00 pm to through traffic, or earlier if the parking lots are full. However, the show may be viewed from almost anywhere in the city.
Each year, traffic flow is a major consideration of event organizers.
“The City of Alamogordo Police Department works closely with us to insure maximum safe traffic flow both into the event and afterwards. We work hard every year to make sure traffic flow is as safe and expedient as possible,” said Harper, “and we encourage everyone to be courteous to each other and our city police officers who will be directing traffic.”
The July 4th Centennial Fireworks Extravaganza is sponsored by the New Mexico Museum of Space History, the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation, the City of Alamogordo, New Mexico State University Alamogordo, and Burt Broadcasting. In addition, the Alamogordo Police Department, City Fire Department, County Fire Departments, the Lincoln National Forest and a large contingency of volunteer fire and safety personnel make the event possible.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information on Museum events or on how you can become a member of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation, call 437-2840 or 1-877-333-6589, or visit the website atwww.nmspacemuseum.org.