4th Of July Fireworks, Parades Canceled throughout Tampa Bay

TAMPA, FL — While Tampa Bay residents and businesses are still encouraged to show their patriotic pride with bunting, flags and streamers, most major Fourth of July events have been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In an effort to discourage large crowds that may spread the coronavirus, St. Petersburg, Tampa and Clearwater have opted not to host their major Fourth of July fireworks displays.

At the same time, Tampa Bay's hometown parades and community festivals are on hold this year, including the Brandon Fourth of July Parade, one of the largest in the state.

In lieu of its Fourth of July parade and fireworks display at the Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club, Temple Terrace has decided to host an End Summer With a Bang celebration Saturday, Sept. 5.

“While we would have loved to celebrate the Fourth of July together in person, we have to put the safety of our community first,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a news release urging residents to practice social distancing this Independence Day. “We are looking forward to an even bigger celebration next year once this virus is behind us, but we have to work together first to stop it.

As the coronavirus numbers continue to rise, the city of Clearwater also announced it is canceling its fireworks show, during which fireworks are launched from a barge in Clearwater Bay.

“It doesn’t matter how many police officers we have, it is not going to be fair or safe for either our citizens or our officers to deal with that situation,” Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard said before the city council voted unanimously to cancel the event. “I think it’s tragic and disappointing but I think it’s the right call.”

St. Petersburg officials are following suit, making the announcement on Twitter last week that the fireworks show and celebration at Straub Park have been called off.

"In an effort to take preventative measures against COVID-19 by avoiding large gatherings, this year's July 4th fireworks display has been cancelled. We appreciate your patience as we prioritize the public health, safety and well-being of our city's residents and visitors."

“Our entire waterfront parks system gets overwhelmed on July 4th,” St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said on his Twitter page. “We’ll take a break from that this year. Public health and safety is the priority.”

Other cities that have canceled their Fourth of July celebrations include Gulfport, Largo, Redington Shores, Lutz-Land O' Lakes, Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Plant City and Treasure Island.

New Port Richey will have a parade with decorated cars. Patch will provide more details once they're available.