Page 40 - 2010 Lake St. Clair Guide Magazine
P. 40
The Annual Spectacular The Belle Maer / MacRay Harbor putting some burgers or ribs on
4th of July Belle Maer display is the best and biggest the barbecue. Inside the harbor,
of the 20 or so Barry puts on; he Belle Maer and MacRay boaters
Harbor & MacRay Harbor shoots more shells more quickly are no less enthusiastic as they
Fireworks Celebration with different effects to create putt around in their dinghies and
an intense 25-minute show that
For the last 24 years, Belle Maer brings the crowd’s emotions PWC’s. At times, the canals look
and MacRay Harbor Marinas on up and down which ends with
North River Road in Harrison everyone cheering and tooting a little like the Lodge Freeway at
Township have been sponsoring, their boat horns in appreciation!
the best 4th of July fireworks on That’s just at the end of the day, rush hour—but it just adds to
Lake St. Clair. No matter what however…A few years ago, a
picnic plans we’ve had during group of boater’s residing at the festive fun.
the day, it always ends with us Belle Maer decided a 4th of July
taking our boat over to Anchor Parade was in order, and so this And last year was the first
Bay, at the entrance of these two year will be the 4th Annual Golf
beautiful marinas, to watch the Cart Parade. The parade has annual Cardboard Boat Regatta.
annual spectacular show. grown in size each year with
The annual show is participants attired in patriotic
always on the 4th of July… of costumes ranging from the Stars
course weather permitting. The
fireworks cap off perhaps the Belle Maer hopes to again have
biggest day of the year for Belle
Maer Harbor, where the marina this event the weekend of July
swells to ten times its normal
population and the atmosphere 4th, you can check out their
is charged with excitement and
anticipation. website for event details.
According to Barry Beltz,
owner of Great Lakes Fireworks It takes a lot more than
and the man responsible for
putting on the display, “It’s an our friends from Great Lakes
incredible amount of work. We
start setting up the barge three Fireworks to put on this
days in advance of the show,
filling all of the mortar tubes, show. Both Belle
& dumpsters with sand,” Barry
says. “The 8”, 10”, and 12” guns Maer and MacRay
have to be buried in sand. We set
up all of the other racks, as well Harbor provide
as our safety hut there. Then the
Coast Guard, State Police, and the sponsorship,
the city come out to inspect.”
Barry personally selects ‘n Stripes to which I have heard
every firework’s product by
making treks to China, India, army uniforms. approaches $30,000.
Brazil, and the U.S. to see their
demos. Barry often asks for The carts Like everything,
certain effects or draws pictures
of what he wants to see. A total themselves are nothing’s cheap,
of some 1,200 shells are used
in the annual display—more if a spectacle, with and we thank both
you include multiple “barrage
cakes” which shoot off 100 some pulling trailing marinas for continuing on with
shells with 25-1,000 shots each.
displays and others topped this tradition for all our families
to enjoy each year. Thank you!
with themed decorations. It is a
sight to behold as the golf carts The fireworks don’t end
maneuver around the packed there that night, while taking your
marina, waving, playing music, boat back to your own marina
and honking their horns. or house, there is a continual
As the holiday progresses, many show of fireworks over the lake
of the Belle Maer friends are from other events and house
seen hoisting a toast or two and parties…you just don’t know
which way to turn. If you don’t
like driving your boat far in the
dark, certainly the safest way to
view this spectacular show is to
rent a boat well at one of these
marinas. Both offer transient
dockage, however, make your
reservations early.
