Charles City July 4th celebration to have non-traditional look; no parade, fireworks postponed

To The Press

There will be a community Fourth of July celebration in Charles City this summer, but it probably won’t look like previous years, and if there is a fireworks display it will be held later in the year.

“After much deliberation and discussion among the organizing committee members and with public health and safety officials, the difficult decision was reached that many of our traditional Fourth activities simply aren’t feasible right now,” said Community Development Director Mark Wicks.

“The COVID-19 situation, state-imposed restrictions and the negative impact on our local businesses these last two months were all major factors in that decision. First and foremost, though, is the public’s health and safety,” he said.

Wicks said the Chamber of Commerce knows the celebration is important to Charles City, so it is working on ways to still celebrate as a community.

Activities are being discussed with the idea of avoiding mass gatherings and to allow people to follow social distancing guidelines. That means no parade down Main Street and none of the traditional activities in Central Park, Wicks said.

“The committee is working on some new ideas for fun ways we can continue to celebrate the holiday as Charles City does so well,” he said.

Some activities associated with the community celebration had previously been announced as canceled.

The Charles City Municipal Band canceled its season including the patriotic concert on July 4th. The statewide Bill Riley Talent Show was canceled this year, so that means no local contest on July 5th. And the city decided to not open the swimming pool this year, so no Dive for Pennies event.

Decisions regarding the status of Kids Day activities on July 3rd and the annual Firecracker 5 races on July 4th are expected soon.
Wicks said the Fireworks Committee of Community Revitalization explored various options before deciding that any fireworks show will be held later this year.

In addition to the concern over crowds gathering for the event, the show is funded by donations, primarily local businesses that have been hit hard by the coronavirus mitigation rules, he said.

“Both the July Fourth Planning Committee and the Fireworks Committee are concerned with supporting our local businesses that have had a tough time and not placing any additional burdens on them right now,” said Wicks. “There are a lot of different expenses associated with putting on these events that our local businesses help out with through sponsorships each year. This year it is our turn to support them.”

The Chamber consulted with Floyd County Public Health, the Charles City Police Department, Floyd County Emergency Management and the City of Charles City before making its decision.

“We all know this has been a difficult and trying year, requiring a lot of adjustments, but we’re still going to have some fun on the Fourth,” Wicks said, adding that additional details would be released in the coming days.

For more information, contact the Charles City Area Chamber of Commerce at (641) 228-4234 or info@charlescitychamber.com. You can also follow updates on Facebook at Chuck Town: Charles City, IA.