What exactly is the 4th without fireworks, parades down main street, and patriotic concerts in the park? We’re about to find out.
2020 has been an incredibly strange and stressful year for all of us and we could all use a real celebration right now, but it is still not clear if that will be possible anytime soon. The same goes for the Fourth of July. We’ve been featuring a fireworks guide and a 4th of July Guide for years now and we were looking forward to our best year ever when the virus hit and threw everyone’s plans in the shredder.
On the ninth of June when we started updating our feature and realized that we didn’t have all the information that we need. We normally have everything set by that date, but a lot of our local towns simply didn’t have all the information that they needed yet. I called the town of Barnstable that morning to find out the status of their celebrations since they were still listed on their website and on the Main Street Hyannis site. Tracey at the town hall informed me that the mayor and the town council had not made a final decision yet and would not be releasing any more information until later in the week. It was a couple of days later that the Cape Cod Times announced that everything had been canceled.
Updates – July 2, 2020:
Chatham
Yesterday as we were doing our coronavirus/COVID-19 update, we stumbled across a little notice from Chatham that they are staging a Virtual 4th of July Parade. I know that nothing can compare with a small-town independence day parade, but this year, with everything that has happened, with all of our dear friends that we’ve lost and with the virus tearing through the South, we have to grateful for these small blessings and for small-town creativity.
Orleans
Orleans is fighting back also. The community has refused to give up on their celebrations and they too have found a workaround. Their solution is a flyover and a virtual 4th of July concert and Facebook event with shared at home (and business) celebrations, decorations, and costumes.
Hyannis
Hyannis has made some big adjustments for the fourth this year. They have had to cancel the parade and the fireworks, but they have added a drive-in movie event on Friday night and a music event with a tree lighting ceremony for Main Street on the fourth. Get more info here.
Provincetown
Provincetown canceled its famous fireworks display this year but the celebration continues at the Crown & Anchor with a Freedom Virtual Beach Party.
We’ll have a few more updates later tonight.
Leave us a comment below, ask a question, or let us know about celebrations in your neighborhood.