Dayton Cancels 4th of July Festival but Fireworks Will Still Happen
Dayton city officials have announced that the annual Dayton 4th of July Festival will not be happening this year, but there will still be Fireworks.
The announcement comes as a surprise considering the festival has been bringing tens of thousands of people to Dayton for nearly 20 years. So why did the city decide to cancel this year? According to officials it all comes down to safety.
City officials have noted that the concern over not having enough staff to work the festival is what ultimately lead to its cancellation. Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. talked about the need to keep everyone safe.
The city will always try to err on the side of caution, and all it takes is few troublemakers to spoil large family-friendly events, and the city did not want to risk that this year, especially given low staffing levels.
The decision to cancel is definitely not a popular one, but I do applaud the city for making the tough decision. When you are committed to safety, there are certain moves that must be made that are not going to be popular, and this is the prime example.
There is some good news for Dayton residents, the city does plan on doing fireworks this year. They are also planning on bringing the festival back next year when they hope to have their staffing issues worked out.
What area city do you think has the best 4th of July festival?