Logan cancels Fourth of July Freedom Fire Celebration due to COVID-19

By Sarah Murphy
Logan’s annual Fourth of July Freedom Fire Celebration has been cancelled in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

The fireworks celebration, which dates back to 1993, was originally scheduled for July 3 at Utah State University’s Maverik Stadium. Last week Logan’s Parks and Recreation Department decided to shut down the event, and on Monday the department released an official statement about the decision.

“This event has been here for decades, at least for the past 25 years I've been in Logan,” said the department’s director, Russ Akina. “It's frustrating and disappointing to curtail what we normally do.”

With preparations for the event beginning in January of this year, officials have found the cancellation process difficult.

“I was asked to draft a news release about the decision last Thursday,” department spokesperson Debbie Harvey said. “The whole process just makes me sad. This is a great community summer event. It’s a tradition for many families in Cache Valley, including mine.”

Parks and Recreation workers are not the only ones disheartened by the announcement.

“I’ve grown up going to the Fourth of July celebration with my family,” Logan resident Katelyn Everton said. “I think that disappointment is the best way to sum up what we’re all feeling.”

Some Fourth of July celebration newcomers are also feeling the letdown.

“This is my first summer in Logan,” USU junior Chloe Neuberger said. “I’d heard from friends about the big firework celebration they always have on Fourth of July and I was so excited to go but now I am way bummed.”

Officials said they took the community's potential disappointment into account. Ultimately, however, the deciding factors were restrictions on mass gatherings at public events in the coming months, efforts to be sensitive about asking for sponsors when local businesses may be struggling, and the disruption COVID-19 has had on the event's planning.

“There was a lot of thought and consideration put into this decision,” Harvey said. “It was not taken lightly by the administration.”

Everton said that despite the disappointment, she does not find fault in the department’s decision.

“I think we’re all sad and a little bummed out but we understand why it has to happen,” she said. “I’ve found it's easy to get angry or upset at the effects of this pandemic but it’s not like the Parks and Recreation Department can control it. It’s not their fault.”

Other community members echo​ed​ Everton's acceptance of the situation.

“Sure it’s disappointing,” Neuberger said. “But I figure that there will always be next year.”