The Duneland community fireworks exhibition scheduled for tonight at Indiana Dunes State Park is a go.

Repeat: A go.

After deadline on Tuesday the Indiana General Assembly reached a budget compromise which rendered moot Gov. Mitch Daniels’ threat to shut down “nonessential” services, including all state parks. Had IDSP been closed today, no other suitable venue would have been available for the exhibition, forcing the cancelation of the fireworks.

This morning Heather Ennis, executive director of the Chesterton/Duneland Chamber of Commerce, told the Chesterton Tribune that the fireworks exhibition will take place today at dusk as planned. “All lights are green,” she said. “The weather’s looking fine. The rain is expected to clear out to the east before midday and the wind is obviously negligible. The barge isn’t on site yet but it’s headed in this direction, from the reports I’ve heard.”

“We’re absolutely thrilled,” Ennis said. “This is a tremendous achievement, to get everybody--the Tri-Towns, the State Park, the National Lakeshore, the business community--working together. We’re excited about the event.”

Ennis did offer some advice to folks planning to attend. “We’re expecting a crowd,” she said. “We would like people to be patient and to understand that everybody wants to see the fireworks as badly as you do. The fireworks will go off at dusk but in anticipation of a crowd we’re encouraging people to get there early.”

“It’s not the best beach-going day, so we don’t think the initial crowd will be as large as it would have been had it been sunny and the temperature in the 80s,” Ennis added.

Parking is limited to 1,500 vehicles. There is a $4 per carload fee and a $2 walk-in fee.

Neither alcoholic beverages nor personal fireworks are permitted at IDSP.

Sponsors who have helped to make the fireworks extravaganza possible include Indiana-American Water Company, LaPorte Savings Bank, VFW Post 2511, Westchester Warehouse, Hass & Associates, and the First State Bank of Porter. Many others have contributed as well.

This morning the National Weather Service had posted a small-craft advisory on Lake Michigan effective through 5 p.m., with northwest winds of 20 knots continuing into the afternoon and waves of up to five feet along the shore. The forecast calls for a mostly cloudy night, with unseasonably cool temperatures in the mid-50s and northwest winds of 10 miles per hour.

Posted 7/1/2009