On Thursday, Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced expansive plans to celebrate fireworks across the city for New Year’s Eve 2018 and beyond.

According to Councilmember Jay Banks, the effort was coordinated with the intent of bringing New Orleans’ Tricentennial celebration to everyone in the city – but particularly those who have been unable to get downtown for the New Year’s Eve fireworks.

With that in mind, planning began for varied fireworks across all of Orleans Parish. The displays will be sponsored by corporate partners and private funds – no city dollars have been used. The major sponsor is Chevron. A spokesperson for the company stated:

“When we learned about this event and what the Mayor and Councilmember Banks, and Mark and everyone were trying to do, it really spoke to us. Making sure that everyone in the city felt included in the annual New Year’s Eve celebration, that’s something that’s very important. For us, inclusion is not just about counting everyone, but making sure that everyone counts, and I think these types of activities really ensure that all residents count and are participating in our city that we all love.”

The fireworks displays will be set up and managed by AFX Pro, and will happen rain or no.

At 8:30 p.m., a large fireworks display will be set in New Orleans East off of Reed Blvd. According to AFX Pro President David Spear, the display’s size will be “the equivalent to One Shell Square.”

At 9:30 p.m. in City Park near Big Lake, there will be a similar display.

At 10:30 p.m. a display will occur on the Mississippi River between Napoleon Ave. and Jefferson Ave. that will be visible from Uptown, the East Bank, and the West Bank (looking back towards downtown).

And of course, at midnight there will be a large display equal to the other three happening at one time. “It is intense,” Spear stated. If we don’t set off at least 10 or 20 car alarms because of the noise, we haven’t done our jobs.”