Plug pulled on Lake Tahoe Labor Day fireworks show

In an effort to encourage visitors to the South Shore to stay over on Sunday night during the Labor Day weekend, the Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authority (LTVA) started a fireworks show in Lake Tahoe in 1998.

With a changing school year calendar and lack of Sunday night stays, the Labor Day fireworks show is no more.

"The lodging and tourism board (LTVA and Tahoe Douglas Visitor's Authority, TDVA) have had discussions for awhile about the Labor Day fireworks," said LTVA and TDVA Executive Director Carol Chaplin. "Lodging was finding their Sunday night reservations were soft."

The reason for funding the 19-minute Labor Day show that cost about $120,000 was to encourage the Sunday night stay, and without a return-on-investment (ROI) to support keeping the fireworks, the decision was made to no longer keep spending the money for a show that is also very labor-intensive.

At one time most schools started the Tuesday after Labor Day and it made sense that people could stay the Sunday night of the three day holiday and get back home on Monday to get ready for school and work. Now many schools are starting in August and Labor Day is no longer the big holiday before school starts.

The conversation about ending the Labor Day show started a couple of years ago and Chaplin said they surveyed the lodging community after Labor Day 2016 to get their input on visitor numbers. Less than 20 percent of them said they saw an increase on Sunday night occupancy.

The fireworks business is more complicated and more expensive than in years past, according to Chaplin. Not only is the firework's company hired, but 50 percent of the cost of the show goes to the ability to shoot the fireworks over the lake. Buoys are installed and retrieved around the show area and they have to pay for the barges where the explosives are kept.

The 4th of July fireworks show is 26 minutes long and costs are in the $250,000 range.

"We are committed to that show because of tradition and Independence Day," said Chaplin. "People expect fireworks then, but not on Labor Day."

Locals and visitors to the South Shore on Labor Day may still have a family-friendly special event Chaplin said.

The tourism agency has put out a request to local event producers for something special at a beach and perhaps Heavenly Village. Permits and final plans still have to be finalized so look for an announcement in the coming weeks about what will replace the Labor Day fireworks.

"We want to make the community feel like we're really trying to come up with something, just haven't landed on the right stuff yet," said Chaplin.

Harvey's contacted Chaplin as the decision was being made about the future of the Labor Day fireworks show. They had a chance to book three top headliners for the outdoor concert series Friday through Sunday of the Labor Day weekend but didn't want to interfere with fireworks. County star Eric Church will perform Saturday and Sunday night with Linkin Park on Friday.

LTVA and TDVA contacted the lakefront properties along the South Shore who have used fireworks to create packages and promotions such as Riva Grill, The Landing, Edgewood Tahoe, Tahoe Beach Retreat and Aramark. Chaplin said they almost all understood the decision. She said they explained to all partners and for the most part they were understanding and understood the reasons.

Repeatedly one of the Top-10 4th of July fireworks shows in the country, Lights on the Lake, is here to stay. They tip off at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday. Tune your radio to KRLT-FM 93.9 or KOWL-AM 1490 for a synchronized music broadcast.