East San Jose residents are finally getting their own Fourth of July fireworks show.
The city is sponsoring the event at Lake Cunningham Park with the hope of preventing many of the illegal shows that can cause fires or injure people.
"Growing up here in East San Jose we always had to go downtown or Almaden Lake," San Jose Councilman Domingo Candelas said. "So being able to sponsor a show here in East San Jose for my neighbors and my families, it's something I'm really proud of."
Candelas had to raise $50,000 in private donations to make it happen.
The park will be closed on the holiday to traffic for safety reasons and the city is encouraging residents to walk or bike to the event, or park in surrounding neighborhoods.
Pablito Concepcion said that as an immigrant from the Philippines, he appreciates the Independence Day celebration of Democratic countries.
Resident Maria Sanchez is also glad the East Side is getting its own show so families can get together and celebrate.
Another reason Candelas pushed for the event is the brown hills above the lake and the fire danger. The hope is to deter some of the many illegal fireworks shows in streets and parks.
"Hopefully with a big enough show, it'll save response times for our firefighters, and it'll save communities from endangering themselves and trying to celebrate in a healthy way," Candelas said.
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Candelas hopes to make next year's celebration an all-day event with carnival rides.
