Stars and spikes
Socially distanced Fourth of July celebrations on tap as virus cases increase
When the city of Santa Fe announced Tuesday that it would be canceling the annual July 4 fireworks show due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shannon Brandenburg braced herself for an uptick in fireworks sales.
Brandenburg co-manages Boom Boom Fireworks, a small fireworks stand in a gravel lot off of FM 646 in rural Santa Fe with a well-stocked inventory: Shelves of explosives were on display ranging from Roman candles to fountains to faux hand grenades for kids.
Business is usually good around July 4, Brandenburg said, but this year’s boom in fireworks sales suggests that more people will be putting on backyard shows in lieu of the typical citywide celebrations.
“Especially out here, they like to hang out and party,” Brandenburg said. “Now they ain’t gotta go watch a show — they can just go to their house and do it there.”
This Fourth of July will look very different for Houston-area
residents. The governor has closed bars and on Thursday ordered nearly all Texans to begin wearing face masks in public. Nearly every city and town along the I-45 corridor has canceled their annual parades and picnics. Some are going ahead with fireworks shows, albeit with social distancing baked into the event or as drive-thru celebrations.
On the coast, Galveston has shut down its beaches, hoping to avoid a repeat of Memorial Day weekend when thousands converged on the island despite a pandemic. Brazoria County will do the same, restricting beach access only to those who can provide proof of residence or a vacation rental booking.
Of course, normalcy is in the eye of the beholder. Houston’s July 4 celebrations have been marred by rain in recent years, including flooding that caused blue letters from a temporary “Houston” sign to float down Buffalo Bayou, a metaphor that hit a little too close to home with Hurricane Harvey a not-so-distant memory. At least the forecast for Saturday is sunny with a high of 98.
Yet Houston officials are walking a tightrope, caught between wanting to give citizens the illusion of routine midsummer holiday festivities, while practically begging people to stay in their homes, wear masks in public and practice social distancing. Health officials said Thursday that 1 in 4 Houstonians who are getting tested have the virus.
“It is imperative that everyone remember we are fighting for our community and the health and safety of our family and friends,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a pre-July 4 briefing on Thursday. “As mayor, I can’t force you to change your behavior, but I am strongly encouraging you to take the virus seriously.”
But the city is doing everything in its power to make July 4 enjoyable. City parks will remain open for active recreation only, and urban park rangers will be patrolling to make sure folks aren’t gathering in groups. However, Eleanor Tinsley and Buffalo Bayou parks will be closed altogether Saturday for the city’s Freedom Over Texas celebration and fireworks show, which begins at 7 p.m. The annual event, which will be televised on ABC13, will include musical performances from the Houston Symphony, Pat Green, Bun B and Trae Tha Truth, among others.
The fireworks will also be enhanced for viewing from all over the city, said Susan Christian, Houston’s director of special events. The fireworks shells that will be going off this year will get between 800 and 1,000 feet in the air, thanks to special accommodations being made to shoot them from a higher altitude.
“We’ve repositioned the show. We’re going to shoot off of trailers and reposition that show so that we can have a much higher latitude and lift for the fireworks show,” Christian said. “So Houstonians can see a much bigger show at a much further distance.”
Other cities are getting creative with their fireworks celebrations. The Woodlands Township is offering residents a “drive-in” fireworks display on Saturday, with designated parking areas for spectators, who are being asked to stay in their cars and social distance. The 18-minute show will be launched around 9:30 p.m. from Lone Star College - Montgomery.
In Brazoria County, cities such as Rosenberg and Alvin are proceeding with fireworks celebrations, yet asking residents to stay far away from the launch site and to not gather to watch in crowds.
“The fireworks will be able to be seen from about a three-quarters of a mile distance from (the fireworks site), so spectators are asked to stay in their vehicles and stay within their family unit,” said Dixie Roberts, a spokeswoman for the city of Alvin. “We wanted to have some sort of celebration for our residents.”
In Galveston, the city will be at least giving the appearance of a normal July 4. Shops, restaurants and galleries in the city’s historic downtown district will be adorned with an abundance of new patriotic decorations, part of a “Star Spangled Island” theme. Family attractions including Moody Gardens, the Pleasure Pier and Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark will remain open.
And yet beaches on the 27-mile island will be closed through the holiday weekend beginning 5 a.m. Friday until just after midnight on Monday, angering some Galveston business owners who rely on summer traffic to generate revenue. Stephen Newberry, who owns Lone Star Flags & Flagpoles and Kites Unlimited on Seawall Boulevard, said the beach closure would be “devastating” to retail businesses on the beach.
“We stock up, expecting to do a certain amount of business based on being in the business for 35 years and the track record we can expect for that period of time,” Newberry said. “For the mayor to close (beaches) with two days’ notice made it even worse.”
Galveston Mayor Jim Yarbrough, who is stepping down on July 15 in part due to health concerns from the pandemic, said he knew the beach closure would be unpopular for a city that relies heavily on tourism, but that public health takes precedent.
Yarbrough said he “might as well go out with a bang” and is willing to take the heat for closing the beach as long as it keeps people safe from infection.
“In this climate, (public officials) are trying to do the best they can,” Yarbrough said. “I’m gonna give them smy last pound of flesh.”