The City of
Tuscola announced today that it has cancelled the community fireworks display
originally scheduled for the evening of Friday, July 6th due to the
excessive heat and unusually dry conditions. All other scheduled events for the
Sparks in the Park Festival on Friday, July 6th and Saturday, July 7th
will take place as planned. Events include: live music, parade, food vendors,
3-on-3 basketball tournament, mud volleyball tournament, community pool party,
downtown farmers’ market, American Legion pancake breakfast, 5K Run/Walk, and
other miscellaneous activities.
“I love the
fireworks every year, and I hate that we have been forced to make this
decision. But, we have to come down on the side of caution,” explained Mayor
Dan Kleiss. To complicate matters, Tuscola is currently without the benefit of
its water tower during a repainting project. According to Fire Chief Steve
Hettinger, “I would be concerned with the fire hazard just because of the dry
conditions. With a diminished water supply, though, I think we really have no
choice but to cancel.”
“Even though we
have been forced to make this tough call for fireworks, there is still a lot to
look forward to this weekend. With an increased number of activities in
comparison to last year, we have fun events planned for all ages,” stated Carly
McCrory of Tuscola Tourism.
At this time,
the City of Tuscola has not set another date for fireworks. If they decide to
do so, they will notify all media outlets.
For more
information about the Sparks in the Park Festival on Friday, July 6th
and Saturday, July 7th – including a schedule of events and
registration forms – please visit www.point2tuscola.org. For
questions about the event or for more information, please contact Tuscola
Tourism at 217-253-2552 or email carly.mccrory@tuscola.org.
Watch for live
updates this weekend on the City of Tuscola’s Facebook page (/cityoftuscola)
and Twitter account (@cityoftuscola).