City of Chamblee officials recently announced that the 2021 Fourth of July fireworks and concert series has been canceled, according to a press release.
Several facts informed the decision, including a consistent focus on the health and safety of the community, according to a written statement from Mayor Eric Clarkson.
“The annual budget for the City of Chamblee is adopted in December of the year prior. In December, 2020 we made the decision to not budget for events in the summer of 2021 due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, vaccine distribution was just beginning. Projections about when we would have access to vaccinations in Georgia was extremely uncertain,” he wrote.
“We anticipated that events later in 2021 like Taste of Chamblee and the Holiday Hoopla would be able to be safely hosted with time to distribute vaccines prior to the events. Both of those events are planned to take place this year and funding has been reserved for them.
“In April, we re-evaluated our special events policy and also took stock of public health and the status of the Coronavirus pandemic in Georgia.
“The outstanding, engaging events hosted by the City require early planning to ensure a safe, fun, and well-executed event for everyone in attendance. In considering and reaching our decision in April, July Fourth would have been “last minute” by planning terms and would not have allowed the same level of preparation necessary to put on a well-executed celebration we were proud to present to the community.
“While we’re disappointed that we won’t be holding our annual July Fourth celebration this year, we hope that this information provides some clarity of the elements that are weighing in making a responsible decision related to the programming and events we offer.
“We’re looking forward to a return to the community celebrations that make Chamblee a strong community and look forward to enjoying Taste of Chamblee and the Holiday Hoopla together as well as the various programs offered until those events.”
