The Ventura County Harbor Department is scheduled to host the annual “Fireworks by the Sea” show at Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. However, with the city of Oxnard making spending cuts as it faces a $9.2 million budget gap, there were concerns about the fate of the show that’s expected to draw up to 20,000 spectators.

“When we heard that the city of Oxnard might pull out of the event due to budget constraints, we knew we needed to spearhead an effort to find supporters to help continue this great annual tradition in our community,” Harbor Lessees Association Executive Director Steven Kinney said in a news release issued Wednesday.

Those supporters included five licensed cannabis dispensaries in Port Hueneme, which are contributing $30,000 to save the event, according to Port Hueneme Police Chief Andrew Salinas.

The dispensaries include Skunkmasters, From the Earth, Wheelhouse, Hueneme Patient, and Safe Port. 

“When approached, all five dispensaries, located along the ‘Green Mile,’ did not hesitate to be partners in this local fireworks show which serves the communities of Port Hueneme and Oxnard,” the news release stated.

“Our cannabis dispensaries are continuing to make significant contributions to our community which are impacting our way of life in a very positive manner,” it continued.

Port Hueneme police had worried that cancellation of the show would lead to more illegal fireworks use in Oxnard and Port Hueneme, where all fireworks are banned for members of the public.

Even in years when the show occurs, the Port Hueneme Police Department receives hundreds of complaints about illegal fireworks around July Fourth, with problems ranging from frightened pets to veterans who suffer anxiety from the explosions. Despite a ban on fireworks in most of the county, they cause numerous local fires and injuries each year, Port Hueneme police said.

The fireworks display will begin at 9 p.m. July 4 at Channel Islands Harbor, along Harbor Boulevard in Oxnard. Festivities during the day leading up to the fireworks show will include a 5K run/walk, a children’s parade and an electrical boat parade.

For more information about the show and festivities, visit https://www.channelislandsharbor.org/event/fireworks-by-the-sea-2019.

The funding isn’t the first philanthropic effort of local cannabis dispensaries. In February, five Port Hueneme dispensaries donated $35,000 to pay for 100 beds for Oxnard’s temporary homeless shelter after Salinas contacted them with the idea.