The annual Oak Bluffs Fireworks are set for a grand return this Friday evening after a two-year pandemic absence. The spectacle begins around 9 p.m. in Ocean Park.

“This is our way of celebrating the hot summer, the hard work, all the fun, and all the family time,” said Emma Green-Beach, a member of the Oak Bluffs select board. “The OB fireworks display has always been a way of marking the end of the summer.”

The display is set to cost the town of Oak Bluffs over $60,000, with much of the money approved by voters at annual town meeting this spring. In previous years, the Oak Bluffs Firemen’s Civic Association has funded and organized the fireworks. Ms. Green-Beach said that due to a shortage of time and resources at the Firemen’s Association, the town took on the responsibilities of this year’s display.

“We couldn’t not have fireworks,” Ms. Green-Beach said.

She added that while the fire department has been stretched thin, “there have been quite a few members …who have given so much of their time and passed on as much of their knowledge as they could” in the hopes of keeping the tradition alive.

“It represents our ability to be together. That’s the spirit of the fireworks,” Ms. Green-Beach said.

For best viewing Ms. Green-Beach recommended finding a place in Ocean Park. Others will take to the Vineyard Sound by boat. On a clear night, the fireworks will be visible across East Chop.

Parking will be available at Waban Park and Washington Park, while Sunset Park remains closed for restoration.