Elk Grove welcomes crowds for July 4 fireworks in one of region’s large summer events
Elk Grove’s annual Independence Day salute will return this July 4, one of the most clear signs yet of the city’s intent to return to larger live events this summer.
The Salute to the Red, White & Blue at Elk Grove Regional Park, 9950 Elk Grove Florin Road, is the city’s largest attended event drawing 20,000 people or more for the annual fireworks display.
“We need to start returning to a sense of normalcy,” Elk Grove City Council member Pat Hume said in support of holding the event at the April 28 council meeting, while encouraging people to “respect your own comfort level” in attending the event.
The July salute will be among the first large events in the Sacramento region to resume after a June 15 date set by Gov. Gavin Newsom in April to fully reopen California. The reopening date is conditioned on whether the state maintains its supply of COVID-19 vaccines and if hospitalizations are low.
This year, event goers will be encouraged to wear face coverings and signs will be posted to emphasize physical distancing. Other modifications, including shorter hours, will also be in place.
Cities across the region including Davis have either canceled or modified their Independence Day displays. Roseville and Lincoln in Placer County will launch the pyrotechnics without crowds, city community events coordinator Jodie Moreno told council members at the session.
Last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged under a statewide lockdown, the city launched fireworks from an undisclosed, centrally located site, broadcast the event and encouraged residents to watch the display from their homes and neighborhoods.
The altered 2020 event drew “mixed feedback” from residents, who complained that they were unable to see the display from their vantage points or unaware that the event was being broadcast, Moreno said.
City officials are still working out details on road closures and entertainment, officials said.
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