Edhat Staff
Photo: Fritz Olenberger
By edhat staff
The City of Santa Barbara has cancelled this year’s annual fourth of July fireworks display due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Santa Barbara City Council weighed the options of keeping the fireworks during a budget meeting this past Monday, but the majority of members felt it was too much of a risk.
After heeding the guidance from state and county public officials, the City Council gave direction to the City’s Waterfront Director to cancel this year’s July 4th fireworks display.
Major events that promote mass gathering are currently prohibited under the Governor’s executive order as it’s nearly impossible to socially distance.
“It is in the interest of public health and safety for all residents, first responders, and city staff, to postpone the show until next year. Although the situation is always changing, public health officials are estimating — to be safe – large public gatherings – are not likely to be endorsed until the New Year,” according to a press release from the city.
The annual event usually draws tens of thousands of spectators to the waterfront area, most of whom stake out their spot in the early morning hours.
As of now, the beaches are predicted to remain open.
If the beach will be open, why can’t they shoot fireworks in the air above the open beaches? Crowd concerns? Have the cops do what they do and prevent the crowds. How difficult is this??? If you can’t trust your police force to control crowds, then what’s the point of having one? Stop cancelling and closing everything, just do your jobs and figure out a way to control crowds. This is stupid.
It would be IMPOSSIBLE – seriously how do you expect the police to stop thousands of people from descending upon the beach and nearby streets? Also, with neighboring cities canceling theirs IF we had it then we would also attract all of those out of towners who really want to see it and don’t care about the crowds. I would rather protect our officers, and the rest of the first responders.
So glad it’s canceled .
Good, fireworks are lame. They make a huge amount of pollution and they scare all types of wildlife. Time for the human race to leave the cave and stop blowing things up for entertainment.
How would it be “IMPOSSIBLE” for the police to set up barricades, signs, etc? Oof, yeah it will probably be a hot day and they’d have to do a little work, but hey, they’re able to do it in IV on Halloween and for Deltopia, I’m pretty sure they can close of Cabrillo in the afternoon or let only a limited # of people in. Stop being so fatalistic. And do you seriously think the beaches won’t be packed full anyway? If you’re so concerned, just close the beaches altogether! Or, just let in locals. That would be interesting….
This is a significantly larger amount of people. There is nothing fatalistic about it, it’s just realistic. Your posts are naïve and lack foresight. It doesn’t matter anyways, they are cancelled. I love fireworks personally but agree with their decision.
It is going to be “no-sky-July” anyway – you won’t be able to see anything. Stay home.
Booooooo!
This is a prudent decision, and we are not alone. Better safe.
4:14 – It’s naive to think the cops should be able to handle a large crowd on the 4th? Wow, you have no faith in our law enforcement, do you? Sad.
I totally agree.
4:42, anger issues? It is naïve to think that they can handle a crowd of this multitude with covid. It’s pointless to argue with you, you clearly just want to be angry. Enjoy!
Will someone drive me to the supermarket so I can hurtle myself to the floor & scream until I get my way?…thnx.
Good, but I bet if those Big Wigs showed up and fired them off in Montecito like they do once in a while no one would say Squat.
Over 90,000 souls lost and your biggest concern is fireworks. Typical con.
There are 325,000,000 of us in the United States- Let’s say 100,000 DIED of the Coronavirus… that is a total of 0.03076% of our entire population that we are CLOSING everything for… Make sense…?
Everybody can travel to Santa Maria where they sell fireworks like there’s no tomorrow and allow them to be fired off all day on the 4th until 11 pm. There are some HUGE parking lots there that will be at the ready due to stores being closed on the 4th. Light ’em if ya got ’em!
I for one would say squat.
5:34 – you’re right. People died from the virus, so we’re not allowed to think, talk, worry, have opinions, or do anything about anything else. I’m an Obama-loving liberal, so you’re wrong, but either way, it’s OK to live life and have opinions still.
Bummer, the 4th is one of Santa Barbara’s funnest events for those of us that actually get out and do things. Oh well, next year. I’ll just have to light my own fireworks at my annual bbq.
It’s all money based (lack thereof) and the crowd control issue that is typically a burden on local law. I am sure on average there is a pretty stiff number on tickets and arrests. So, for everyones sake it’s not happening. Just download the 4th of July app on your phone. You’ll be just fine.
Good point. With city revenues down, they won’t want to pay for the extra police and fire presence required. And the crowds-spread-disease issue, there is that.
Let’s localize that a bit Coast. 500 people in the county of SB got it… that weren’t incarcerated in Lompoc Prison. We have 454,000 people in Sb County. So yeah, I agree.
We are already approaching 100K with all the measures that were put in place. New York has had approximately 15,700 deaths (not counting the surrounding metro areas) out of a population of approximately 8,100,000. The first death was in early March. Applied to 454,000, that would be 880 deaths. I wonder what actions taken in California and Santa Barbara may have helped stave off more cases/deaths?
Can we prohibit pointless taxpayer-money draining flyovers of military jets, too?
Yes crowds spread disease, so close the beaches too! Just shut it all down already. Sick of this crap.
People have said that the pilots need to do training runs anyway, so the flyovers are not any additional cost. I have no idea if that is true.
A co-worker back in the early 80s told me he had been working at China Lake on equipment for the P-3 aircraft. The Navy P-3 pilot had to put in a certain number of flight hours each month to stay current in the F-4 Phantom, and since my co-worker was cleared for flight, he got invited up in the back seat. They tooled around for a couple of hours seeing the sights, and then the pilot asked him “Have you ever flown below sea level?” They immediately commenced a steep dive, and leveled out at about 100 feet over Death Valley for a quick pass. They climbed out, and circled back around, and the pilot said “I don’t think we were below sea level,” and repeated the pass, but inverted. My co-worker said he used up a lifetime’s worth of adrenaline.
I’m not into this form of honoring, but we are paying for the planes and pilots, so may as well see them. (Scared the CRAP outta me; I didn’t know about last week’s flyover.) ===========================================
YES. The pilots, from whatever branch, and Air National Guard, MUST obtain a number of flying hours. They’d be flying, whether over cities or not. So bring it to those who pay for it, and those who support it. I’d love to hear from service people re: requirements.
Have you seen what Shoreline and Chase Palm Parks look like during the show? No social distancing there. We are not going to be able to get together in large groups until after there is a vaccine or herd immunity.
Makes sense if you assume that your numbers are frozen in time and will not change. If everyone gets infected then up to 3 million additional people will die. How do like them numbers?
If you are an Obama-loving liberal, why doesn’t your writing reflect that? I bet he would disavow any of your opinions if he had the time to browse Edhat.
More stupid decisions and useless ideas from our inept local “leaders.” Yes, let’s continue to keep our population cootie-free, businesses catering to tourists struggling to survive, and especially when all those lepers come up from Los Angeles. Let’s just keep everything shut down forever, shall we ? Seems to make perfect sense based on “science”. right? Fortunately, I will be out of town and in a different state enjoying patriotism this July 4th, as I prefer to be in a state that believes in the Constitution, our rights, a celebration of our nation’s founding, and Freedom. The parades in the state I visit are wonderful, and they even let you buy and enjoy fireworks that go up in the sky and go “BOOM!” Happy dogs with their tails wagging to the sound of firecrackers the kids are lighting off, the Farmer’s Markets are selling apple and cherry pies, and people are hoisting libations, embracing each other in a sense of neighborhood togetherness in honor of Independence. You might even hear John Philip Sousa music coming over people’s car radios on the summer breezes while they drive by with their windows rolled open and proudly driving “mask free” with American flags fluttering on their antennas and roofs. But I am sure many of the “stay home stay safe” Sheeple here are rejoicing in continued cancelled public gatherings and that their dogs, who they never bothered to train properly to ignore loud sounds, will not have to cower inside like themselves. I wonder how many fires will be started from fireworks purchased elsewhere, since many people will be lighting them at home this year now that the beach show is cancelled? I wonder if the City Council thought about that?
Take the Red chill pill, amigo. There’s 40 million people in California, along with a crpload of Dogs and Cats. Sure, you can shoot off fireworks anywhere east of Lancaster and not bother anyone, but it’s pretty densely populated here on the Coast. Dissuading people from congregating during a pandemic is hardly an imposition to your freedom, which you are exercising by leaving town. Happy 4th!
@1:48 take me with you!
PITMIX – It seems the police should be able to close off and handle any crowds at the parks. They’ve done it in other situations. Cancelling our Independence Day celebration is just a little too much, in my opinion. With the beaches open and it being a Saturday, it will be sh&^show nonetheless, so why not clear everyone out and shoot off a couple fireworks?
@1:48 Those dogs are wagging their tails because they want a hot dog, not because they enjoy the sound of firecrackers. No animal does.
“proudly driving “mask free” with American flags” – interesting how that echoes the sentiment among uneducated conservatives that people who were masks are somehow unpatriotic….
Delusional con fantasy on many levels.
How absolutely thoughtless. I don’t understand why anyone would want to bully those who come from extremely poor, uneducated, and religious countries. How mean-spirited to refer to these fellow human beings as “uneducated conservatives.” They work their heart/souls to the bone, and most never had an opportunity for education, travel, enlightenment, let alone spend two seconds with the touchy-feely stuff (“I asked the waiter for thinly sliced lemon wedges…..and they were not cut thin enough!” … followed up with lousy Yelp/Google reviews). So much anger, it overflows into everyday life, so much so that they can’t see straight. The sad part, is that someone probably looks up to them.
Too great of a sacrifice! Missing out on a couple hours watching stuff go boom may forever scar our hearts and minds.
Really Zenyatta19? No animal? Total nonsense. I have never seen a stampede of horses and bulls at a 4th of July rodeo, or the rodeo clown’s dogs running for cover when the fireworks go off. My daughter’s boyfriend has a three year old Malamute, who could care less when he’s been out with me firing handguns. Personally, I have had six dogs in my life , two Spitz breeds, three pure-bred dogs, (yes, two of those were hunting breeds), and a rescue Corgi mutt-mix that was thought to be six or seven years old. I trained all of them by using a small cracker at first followed by a treat. Sorry, the treat wasn’t a hot dog:) Of course they a little startled and scared, but all of them within two weeks would come running with wagging tails, enthusiasm, and affection at the sound of anything loud, including fireworks on the 4th and even electric drills or a blender. A dog can obviously be trained to be smart and intelligent, but some of the posters here unfortunately will never be. All of you who have dogs that are afraid of any loud sounds, noise, and are constantly yapping should try learning to socialize and train your dogs properly .
Hi Pit, hope you have a good time in Kalifornia. Don’t light any sparklers on the 4th – they are illegal and you might burn yourself, too!
Sacrifice is not the point, BENE. Many seem to be missing out on what the symbolism of fireworks and what the American flag means to most citizens, which happen to be the values and freedom of what the original founders of this country fought and died for, along with our military, law enforcement, and first responders who have also died, and those professions that continue to protect us.
@ 5:00. Call an American flag-bearing “uneducated” Marine or other military personnel unpatriotic and see how far it gets you. You might find your mask stuffed someplace where the sun doesn’t shine.
6:19 – Haha, thank you for proving my point! Not only was I not condemning (that means talking bad about) flag-bearing, but nothing screams uneducated like threatening physical violence in response to a spoken word, bravo! You win! But in all seriousness, and on the contrary, all the service members I know (half my family) are all PROUDLY wearing their masks in public. You know why? Because being a good citizen and patriotic member of society, means sometimes doing things in the interest of others. Furthermore, “Marines and all other military personnel” follow the rules, whether they like them or not.
Absolutely! Let’s honor our values, first responders etc. in every meaningful way. Enjoying two hours of fireworks is not the only way or the best way to do this. I’d rather take the money for fireworks and set up a fund for them.
As part and parcel of their shallow understanding of most things, these “patriots” place a lot of emphasis on superficial manifestations like flags, lapel pins, fireworks, and parades, while ignoring or denigrating many of the actual tenets of good citizenship like civil rights, equality, and responsibility.
I LOVE fireworks but they horrify my dog so he will be happy and honestly with all that is going on right now I just feel indifferent. There will be fireworks next year, we will survive.
NYC is densely populated – you cannot go anywhere without literally bumping into someone. Millions crowded into 3 square miles – that is not the case here, we are much more spread out and drive more versus public transport. If our area was a densely packed with as much public transport use we’d be in the same boat.
NYC is densely populated – you cannot go anywhere without literally bumping into someone. Millions crowded into 3 square miles – that is not the case here, we are much more spread out and drive more versus public transport. If our area was a densely packed with as much public transport use we’d be in the same boat.
I love fireworks but this is a good decision as crowd control will be an issue. Folks you can buy your own you know many outlets are advertising and just do your own show. Fun!
Can I give a nostalgic mention of THE PITS that used to be dug on the beach for July 4th? What a war zone that was! Huge pits, with bonfires in the middle, dug so deep in the afternoon that by dark when groups arrived each one was its own little circle of friends reclining on the sloping walls. Like Ant Lion pits for humans. And the Horror of people lobbing off bottle rockets that landed in rival pits. Oh, what a visual it was. Like something out of the trenches in WWI. Of course the Powers That Be outlawed them, too dangerous, too fun. Sigh.
We always had a keg or two in ours.
The pits also wrecked the beach.
Yay! They pollute and scare the animals! Good riddance fireworks!
I still think you can watch fireworks and maintain social distance. It’s not like they’re in the Arlington Theater… What a drag.
MAY 19, 2020 07:51 PM. Agree, 100%. Seems like a lot of people don’t care about the needless noise and air pollution, but some of us do.
05:38 PM. It’ll make sense to you and yours if one of you is the one who suffers and dies, I suppose.
Can’t WAIT to tell my dogs there’ll be no fireworks this year. They will be thrilled, as will I and the rest of my family. Hooray. 3:46 stated it best: Fireworks are lame and polluting.
P.S. (Donate that $10,000 toward some worthy cause: Food from the Heart or Foodbank or Humane Society or Girl’s Club or the City Firefighters Charitable Fund or . . .)
Can’t figure out if you are a militant who loves exploding things or a police-hater who wants to create a dangerous situation for cops. Asking cops to police and monitor a large crowd of people in this day and age seems foolish. 41 NYPD officers have died from the virus due to their exposure to the public. At least 3 CA police also. Blue lives matter!
PITMIX – I’m neither. I’m just a regular citizen who is bummed that they’ve cancelled our Independence celebration and who feels that police should be able to erect barricades, traffic signs, etc to prevent people from congregating on Cabrillo and surrounding parks. They do it TWICE a year in IV. I’d like to think that drunk, rowdy college kids would be easier to manage than our local adults and tourist. Yeah, it would be tough, but we can’t just keep closing and canceling everything. This will be here for months, if not years, we need to adapt. Shut down Cabrillo, clear the beach, close Chase Palm park and Shoreline and let em’ rip!
5:55, I grew out of the fireworks phase about the time I started to vote. But I will defend your right to go to Santa Maria and start little fires there and pollute their environment to the death, as long as you are supporting liberal charities with your fireworks buys.