By Jane Smith
Delray Beach will have two fireworks displays to mark Independence Day, city commissioners agreed in early May.
“Wherever you are in town, you will be able to look up and see fireworks at 9 p.m.,” Sam Metott, Parks and Recreation director, said about the July Fourth plan.
The fireworks will be set off from two undisclosed locations. One will be west of the interstate, one east.
“That’s how it should be,” said Mayor Shelly Petrolia. “People in their backyards can see the fireworks show. Some may figure out the locations, but most probably won’t.”
Delray Beach last celebrated Independence Day with fireworks in 2019.
When East Atlantic Avenue was closed at the Intracoastal Waterway and State Road A1A that year, about 80,000 people came to enjoy the evening festival, Metott said. The event started with a community flag-raising at 5 p.m.
The city offered live music, games, food and fireworks that were shot off from a barge in the ocean.
Last year, no outdoor gatherings were permitted in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This year, the city will not have any bands or a July Fourth festival because of pandemic restrictions. At the time the decision was made, wearing masks and social distancing were required outdoors in crowded conditions.
Because the Fourth falls on a Sunday this year, Metott said parks staff will offer arts, crafts and games Saturday morning in Pompey Park. “We don’t want to offer them on Sunday morning and conflict with church services,” he said.
At the beach this year on Sunday morning, the city will host its volleyball contest, followed by a sandcastle-building contest.
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