Fort Mill cannon firing, Tega Cay fireworks: One July 4 event is off, one is still on
Fort Mill won’t gather for a cannon firing this July 4. In Tega Cay, the show goes on.
Long-time cannoneer Mike Short posted on his Facebook page that the annual July 4 celebration in Fort Mill is canceled. Mayor Guynn Savage and town council member Chris Moody commented on the post that town staff made the call after discussing attempts to hold a celebration while recognizing social distancing measures for COVID-19.
The town, Savage posted, even reached out to the Anne Springs Close Greenway to see if there may be an option there to spread out the thousands of people who might show up for July 4 fireworks. Savage called the task “logistically impossible.”
“This is not a surprise decision given the circumstances,” she posted.
It’s similar to other decisions made in York County. York canceled Summerfest and July 4 fireworks there. The July 4 fireworks over Lake Wylie are canceled. Rock Hill, Fort Mill, York County and other areas have a long list of festivals and events either canceled or held virtually since coronavirus social distancing began mid-March.
Traditionally the cannon firing on July 4 has been a morning event, with a smaller program. Last year the town held the event a night early and thousands of onlookers shut down Main Street for the cannon firing and fireworks. The cannon firing ranks among the longest continuous events of its kind in the country, organizers told guests last year.
On Thursday afternoon, the town released a statement on the event. It reads:
“Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Town is canceling its planned Independence Day ceremony, but will be providing a virtual week of events in its place.
Unfortunately, like many of our area communities, due to requirements from the state government about COVID-19, the Town will not be able to provide its annual Independence Day celebration as we have in the past. As such, the Town will not be hosting its annual cannon firing and fireworks show originally scheduled for July 3, 2020.
Instead, the Town will host a weeklong celebration of virtual events. Details about these events will be announced soon.”
One community that doesn’t plan to cancel events is Tega Cay.
“Everybody’s canceling,” Mayor David O’Neal said Thursday afternoon, “but not Tega Cay. We’re not canceling.”
That decision hasn’t been unanimous among city leaders, he said. O’Neal favors the festivities, held in a smart way.
“We were all thinking about canceling it, too,” he said. “But just looking up at the fireworks, looking up at the sky, you can just look up and watch it.”
Tega Cay has the most July 4 events each year as the holiday coincides with the city’s birthday. More than a half dozen events typically dot the calendar.
O’Neal said Thursday the morning land parade will go on as scheduled.
“People can come out and watch it or not,” he said. “They don’t have to stand on top of each other to watch a parade.”
O’Neal said he wasn’t sure about the boat parade, which ends each year at Windjammer Park. It’s held in conjunction each July 4 with a performance by the Carolina Show Ski Team. That performance won’t happen this year since the team hasn’t had practice time on the water due to coronavirus measures.
The fish fry held each year by the Tega Cay Lions Club won’t happen, since much of that membership are older residents. Social distancing efforts promoted by state and national officials particularly apply for seniors, as an at-risk population.
The fireworks show that typically follows the fish fry will be held. O’Neal said Tega Cay doesn’t need to copy what other city leaders do without a good reason to do the same. Other recent public gatherings too, O’Neal said, were held that likely brought people much closer together than fireworks would.
“Why can people come to protest with 1,000 people,” O’Neal said, “but people can’t come and watch a fireworks show?”
O’Neal said he supported social distancing measures in recent months and still supports them where appropriate. He emailed other city officials Thursday stating he doesn’t see the need to put a question of whether to cancel the fireworks on an upcoming council agenda.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 2:41 PM.
