HAVERHILL — The city has rescheduled its July 4 celebration to Sunday night.
The event will be held at Haverhill Stadium on Lincoln Avenue. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the fireworks display will be at 10 p.m.
Vincent Ouellette, the city's human services director, said the area of the stadium where the stage and concession stands were to be set up Friday night were wet because of heavy rain today but should be dry by Sunday, which was the event's scheduled rain date.
"There is a high percent chance of thunderstorms and lighting from 6 to 11 p.m. on Friday," he said. "We see that Sunday is going to be a perfect day so it's best to move it to then."
Ouellette said the company that is putting on the fireworks display agreed that Sunday would be a better day, and so did the band that is scheduled to perform, the B Street Bombers.
"With thunder and lightning, we're all in the middle of an open field and it would not be a good situation," Ouellette said. "We have to be cautious."
He said last year's fireworks display went on as planned, even though rain was in the forecast, and that members of the public want to know why this year is different and why the celebration has to be moved to Sunday.
"Last year it was raining, but last year's rain date, which was Sunday, looked even worse," he said. "The band didn't play, the concession stand packed up and went home, but the fireworks did go off as there was a break in the weather."
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