This article has been updated with July 1 confirmed as the date for the fireworks show
With all west central Florida cities scrambling to find fireworks vendors amid a shortage of them post-COVID, Safety Harbor's City Commission voted unanimously Monday night to instruct city staff to seek a contract for a July 1 fireworks presentation instead.
Fireworks Displays Unlimited, which has put on the city's fireworks show since 2014, informed the city that it no longer serves west central Florida. City staff research resulted in only five companies that still serve the region, and only one of those, Explosive Touch Enterprises, submitted a bid. However, Explosive Touch is only available to do a show on July 1, 2, or 3, not July 4.
City staff said it researched alternatives to a fireworks display, but each alternative had problems. A drone light show was deemed too expensive, and a laser light show depends on heavy cloud cover, which can not be guaranteed, or fogging Waterfront Park, which is too large, in order to see the show.
Ultimately, city staff recommended to Commission having a fireworks show on Saturday, July 1, with a full festival of vendors and music as usual, or on Sunday, July 2, though with limited city staff available. Holding the event on Monday, July 3, would require a much smaller event because of staffing constraints. Commissioners also could have elected to cancel the fireworks display and festival this year, or hold it on a different holiday.
Commission unanimously voted to have city staff seek a contract with Explosive Touch for $22,000 on July 1, with a rain date of July 2. City Special Events Coordinator Joe Cooper told Commission that in the event of rain canceling the July 1 show, July 2 would only involve a fireworks show, not a full festival.
In good news for Safety Harbor residents, the Clearwater Threshers baseball team, which plays at BayCare Ballpark at the corner of Drew Street and U.S. 19 in Clearwater, has a fireworks show planned after the game on the Fourth of July.
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