Cash Strapped Cities Appeal to Public for July 4th Celebrations

It used to be that July Fourth celebrations were a point of pride for a community: a chance to bring friends and neighbors together, grill some burgers and linger on the grass on a summer evening.

It also used to be something most took for granted, assuming that, to borrow the well-worn theater reference, the show must go on.

But the worst recession since the 1920s has obliterated this slice of Americana for many cities, including relatively well-off ones.

My hometown, San Ramon, has canceled its much-loved fireworks for lack of funds. So did Danville and Hercules, while Moraga, Napa and Dixon are trying desperately to raise enough cash to pay their vendors.

“It’s the one thing the city won’t cancel,” says Napa Patch editor Louisa Hufstader, adding that Napa has already eliminated all other special event funding for the year.

In Petaluma, the show will go on, but the Parks and Rec department is still $2,500 short and hoping that residents and businesses will help the cash-strapped city fund the difference.

“I remember two years ago, Raley’s donated $25,000 for the fireworks,” says Jan Mandrell, a parks and rec manager who has spent the past several months mailing out solicitation letters. “But this year they gave $5,000 and most businesses can’t even afford that. People have hit the wall.”

Mandrell is asking residents to donate funds via the Parks & Rec website (and be eligible to win a $500 gift card) or drop off a donation the day of the event. Although this year July Fourth falls on a Wednesday, plan on a party and a lot of out of town visitors. (Fireworks are completely banned in Marin County).

Gates open at 6pm at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, with the singing patriotic songs starting 6:30pm and Sacramento band Clean Slate entertaining guests til 9pm. Children’s activities will be offered and food, beer and wine available for sale at the event. No outside alcohol is allowed.

We all long for the good-old days, when donations flowed like beer at Lagunitas and fireworks were a given. Now we must brace ourselves for a new reality that if we want anything—including things we assumed the city should fund—we will increasingly have to pay for them out of our own pocket.