Here are socially distanced fireworks shows near Sacramento planned for July 4 weekend
It’s going to be one strange Independence Day in the Sacramento region.
For years, the Fourth of July holiday has meant thousands of people crowding inside or near Cal Expo to catch the fireworks show. Others would pick tight to watch the display near Cordova High School, or the one at El Dorado Hills’ Town Center, or maybe the one at the Folsom Rodeo, or perhaps the Davis show.
Instead, all traditional, organized fireworks shows in the area have been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, some of them scrapped a few weeks or months ago.
As the public health crisis advances toward what Sacramento County’s health chief referred to this week as a “tipping point,” and with California’s rapidly accelerating COVID-19 numbers prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to order Sacramento and 18 other counties to shut down indoor operations for numerous types of nonessential businesses including restaurants, July 4 celebrations will have to take a much different form.
Along with his closure announcement, Newsom during a Wednesday news conference asked those 19 counties to consider canceling fireworks shows if they hadn’t already.
Concern has been mounting that private gatherings will cause another spike following the impending holiday weekend, after contact tracing investigations linked clusters of new COVID-19 cases in Sacramento and Yolo counties to group celebrations among friends and extended family members coinciding roughly with Memorial Day weekend.
“No parades, no barbecues,” Sacramento County health chief Dr. Peter Beilenson urged Monday, telling those planning to go see fireworks to stay in their cars. “We are imploring people not to gather this weekend.”
Rancho Cordova had planned a drive-in show, which had been set for Saturday night at a site near White Rock Road. The event’s website was updated Thursday morning to announce the show is canceled.
A handful of cities within driving distance of Sacramento are, as of Thursday morning, planning to move forward with socially distant fireworks shows, including two others still planning to do so on drive-in movie-theater style basis, and another planning to air its fireworks live on TV.
▪ Folsom is planning a drive-in fireworks show Friday night, with empty parts of the Folsom Ranch housing development used for parking. The $40 advance fee — or $50 at the door — would include not only a view of the fireworks, but a drive-in theater-style movie as well as other interactive activities.
▪ Elk Grove, while having canceled its annual parade, also plans to hold a fireworks show that can be watched via television, shown on ABC10, at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. It’ll be accompanied by a musical soundtrack found at 93.7 The River.
“Celebrate in place,” the Elk Grove show’s event description on Facebook reads. “No large gatherings permitted.”
The city in a news release said it got the OK Wednesday from Sacramento County public health officials to proceed. The county plans to amend its public health order Thursday
▪ Outside of Sacramento County, the Oroville Airport is set to host a display using larger firework shells than usual so they’re visible from residents’ homes. While encouraged to watch from home, people can treat it as a drive-in showing by parking at Riverbend Park or the Nelson Avenue Sports Complex. The show will begin 30 minutes after sunset Saturday — possibly with flyovers from aerobatic flying groups.
This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 7:50 AM.