Pandemic prompts change in Somerton’s 4th of July celebration

SOMERTON — The city will shoot off fireworks to celebrate the nation’s birthday but not throw water balloons.

The coronavirus is prompting Somerton to forego the traditional Fourth of July celebration that brought together thousands of people and featured a popular water balloon fight.

There will be a fireworks demonstration that Somerton officials say can be seen throughout town.

“Because of the pandemic, we won’t be able to have people congregate in a festival,” said Jesus Meza, Somerton’s parks and recreation director. “We are going to have a celebration that is perhaps a little adjusted. But the holiday must be celebrated. We want residents at least to enjoy the fireworks show from their homes.”

The celebration was staged in past years at Council Avenue Park. This year the fireworks will be shot off at the city’s Joe C. Cardenas athletic field, which will remain closed to the public.

Meza said the athletic field is more centrally located in the city and will provide a better vantage point for all residents to see the show.

As part of the celebration, the city is inviting residents to submit patriotically theme photographs in a Fourth of July photo competition. Prizes will be given out in three categories, and winners will be picked based on the number of likes their pictures get on Facebook. Residents can visit the Somerton Parks and Recreation Department’s Facebook to consult rules for the contest.

The details are being finalized, but as part of the celebration, the city also plans to distribute children’s prizes and 500 watermelons donated by Southwest Sanitation.

The water balloon fight has been a tradition of the Somerton’s Fourth of July party since 2012. As part of that year’s celebration, the city attempted to stage the world’s largest-ever water balloon fight, as recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records.

The record-setting attempts fell short that year and every year after, but the balloon fight has remained a popular heat-beating attraction throughout.

The city will provide more details about this year’s celebration as the date draws closer.