TEMPE, Ariz. – A last-minute scramble has turned into a guaranteed show for a local Fourth of July celebration.
After the event’s production company abruptly backed out less than two weeks before the holiday, city officials had to think quickly. That meant pulling a veteran organizer out of retirement.
The race to save Tempe’s Fourth of July started with a single, urgent phone call.
What they’re saying:
“I received a phone call from the Mayor, Mr. Corey Woods, who I’ve known for a very long time, and Corey said, ‘Judi, we have a little problem,'” said Judi Yates.
The problem centered on the production company hired to run the celebration out of Tempe Beach Park pulling out at the last minute.
“The producers who were supposed to do the event said they were unable to produce the event, and they were unable to provide the services, and they were out,” Yates said.
That is where Yates came in. She spent 19 years planning the city’s fireworks before retiring in 2019. But when her city called, she couldn’t say no.
“My heart of hearts said Tempe needs to have a fourth of July, so I’m going to do everything I can possibly do,” Yates said.
Dig deeper:
What usually takes nearly a year of meticulous planning had to be pieced together in less than two weeks.
“When we did the beach park, we would have the event in July, I’d spend the month of August billing, cleaning up, getting everything done and, literally, September, mid-September we’d start again, planning for the next year,” Yates said.
Which means Yates has been working non-stop.
“Well, I’m gonna have to reintroduce myself to my husband on Sunday,” Yates said. “He’s been hiding from me and letting me do my thing. It’s 12–13 hour days.”
To make it work, the event was uprooted and relocated to Tempe Diablo Stadium.
“It just was a logical move because the building is able to be sealed and secure and the most important thing for any major event is, of course, safety,” Yates said.
What to Expect:
The event will run on the Fourth of July from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with fireworks around 9 p.m. While it is a different location, organizers promise the same fun.
“We’re gonna have ten thousand people here tomorrow,” Yates said. “We’re gonna have a great show. We’ve choreographed music already. We have vendors, we have bounce houses, we have so much fun for the kids.”
Tickets are $2.50 in honor of America 250. Organizers are encouraging people to buy tickets online ahead of time.
