Boston Moves July Fourth Celebration To Thursday

The Boston Pops annual July 4th concert and fireworks show attended by thousands is being moved up a day because of potential heavy rains ahead of Hurricane Arthur.

Organizers and public safety officials said Wednesday afternoon the celebration is being rescheduled to what appears to be the best of two potential bad weather days. Arthur is expected to pass well east of New England over the weekend.

State Police Col. Timothy Alben said security arrangements are ready to go, since the public rehearsal would have been held Thursday night anyway. He said the performance could be also cancelled Thursday if the weather isn't safe.

With Storrow Drive now scheduled to close at 1 p.m. on Thursday, a regular business day, traffic around the city could get rough. Memorial Drive and the Mass. Ave. and Longfellow bridges will close at 6 p.m. The public will be allowed onto the Esplanade beginning at 5 p.m. (More on street closures and security.)

Pops conductor Keith Lockhart says you have to be flexible when you're producing a big show outside.

"I have to put the concert together no matter what, so what I try to do is make sure that there are no stones we've left unturned," Lockhart said. "So that when we do get a chance to take that stage, and I'm fairly confident we will get that chance over the next few days, that we're ready to go."

Officials say that if weather forces them to cancel Thursday night, consideration will be given to holding the event on Saturday, July 5.

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom.