Onset’s Fourth of July celebration will be quieter and less colorful this year following news that the 2016 fireworks display has been cancelled.

The group in charge of the event, the Onset Bay Association, made the announcement Tuesday morning via press release. Association members updated Selectmen at the board’s meeting later that day.

The event, which draws an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people to Onset annually, has suffered from dwindling interest.

“It’s a multi-faceted issue,” said Kat Jones, the association’s president.

She said a lack of enthusiasm for private fundraising and fewer volunteers are to blame.

“We’re very disappointed,” said Jones. “But we’re hoping that by talking about it now, we get the town more involved in fundraising for future years.”

Jones said the current shortfall was too large for future donations to cover expenses.

The display costs more than $30,000 to stage each year. So far, the group has raised $1,500.

Jones outlined those expenses for Selectmen: It costs an estimated $18,500 for the fireworks display; $12,000 for police; $3,000 for a harbor patrol and $1,000 for EMS.

The fact that Municipal Maintenance employees will not be available for cleanup hurt the group’s efforts, too.

“When ten thousand people come into town, that’s a big mess,” Jones said.

Selectmen lamented the loss of the event, saying it generated much-needed revenue for local shops.

“It’s a valuable resource for the town in a lot of areas,” said Selectman Patrick Tropeano. “It brings in a lot of business. On the other hand, people haven’t made it too easy for this whole project.”

In past years, volunteers collected upwards of $8,000 immediately after the event for next year’s festivities. In 2015, the figure was miniscule.

“Three hundred dollars just isn’t going to cut it,” Tropeano said, referring to the amount collected. “People like to come and see the fireworks, and it seems like nowadays nobody wants to participate in the process, and it’s sad.”

Selectman Alan Slavin floated the idea of partnering with neighboring towns such as Marion and Bourne to hold a fireworks display.

By spreading the workload, Slavin said the event wouldn’t be a burden on one small group of dedicated volunteers.

“We think we’re going to reach out to three or four towns and come up with a program that will rotate each year,” Slavin said. “We’ve been telling people they’ve had to step up for five years and like everything else, it eventually came to an end.”

Jones said her group was receptive to the idea.

Ultimately, Jones said the Onset Bay Association wanted the event to continue. However, she said the public should be aware of the obstacles facing the association.

“I want this to be an education for the community,” Jones said. “If they do want these kinds of things to happen, they need to step forward.”

The association relies on donations and grants to pay for all of the programming it provides to Onset Village. Most of the events are free through the efforts of volunteers.

Any funds donated for the 2016 fireworks will be put towards next year’s display.

In addition to money, the association seeks help.

“Volunteers are critical for all of our events, especially the fireworks,” said Jones. “Hopefully more people will get involved and help us ensure that all of our events go forward safely and successfully.”

To make a donation - of money goods, services or volunteer hours - contact the Onset Bay Association at 508-295-7072 or onsetvillage@yahoo.com.