Residents set off fireworks from Port Chilkoot Beach on July 4, 2016. (Emily Files)

Residents set off fireworks from Port Chilkoot Beach on July 4, 2016. (Emily Files)

Fourth of July festivities in Haines include a parade, mountain run and lots of pie, but no official fireworks display.

Haines also went without a major fireworks show last year. Pyrotechnician Phillip Wilde used to contract with the borough to provide July Fourth fireworks. But this year and last, he has instead hosted a display at 33 Mile of the Haines Highway.

The 33 Mile show takes place July 3. Wilde’s son Elliot says the fireworks will start at 10:30 or 11 p.m. and the public is welcome.

The borough assembly put the kibosh on providing a police presence at the 33 Mile show. Borough Manager Debra Schnabel said the event organizers requested a police officer make an appearance to help keep the peace. But multiple assembly members, including Tom Morphet, objected.

“To me this is tantamount to a Mud Bay wedding with 300 people there saying ‘we’d like the police to show up because everybody’s going to be drinking,'” Morphet said. “I don’t think that’s a service we typically offer. Nor should we set the precedent of offering it. If something happens badly at 33 Mile, we should respond. But until then it’s the obligation of the people having a private fireworks show to police themselves.”

The 33 Mile gathering takes place outside of the police service area, which is confined to the townsite.

On July Fourth between 6 p.m. and midnight, the borough is opening up sections of town for private fireworks. Sanctioned areas include the Picture Point and Port Chilkoot Dock beaches.

The Independence Day festivities begin a few days before the fourth, this Saturday. The Haines Fire Department hosts a barbeque at the fire hall Saturday afternoon. The ANB/ANS hall is holding pie-themed Bingo nights Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.

On Independence Day itself, festivities kick off at 6 a.m. with the Fort Seward flag raising ceremony.

Early risers looking for a challenge can participate in the Mount Ripinsky Run at 8 a.m. Sign-up starts at 7 a.m.

Parade line-up begins at 10 a.m. on Main Street. The procession starts at 11 a.m.

After working up an appetite following the parade and run, residents can check out the salmon bake at the ANB/ANS Hall from 11 to 3.

Tlingit Park will be full of food and activities, including face painting, a dunk tank, nail pounding contest and watermelon feed.

Mud Volleyball games start at noon across from the senior center. And the Mad Raft Race is at 3 p.m. at Chilkoot Lake.

A closing ceremony and flag-lowering is set for 9 p.m. at the Fort Seward parade grounds.

A full schedule of events can be found in the June 29 edition of the Chilkat Valley News.