Highland Park Cancels 4th Of July Events
CHICAGO (CBS) -- First, Ravinia was cancelled for the season, now Fourth of July events will not be held in Highland Park because of COVID-19.
The city of Highland Park and its park district said the festivities for the 4th included a parade, the Fourth Fest Family event, Bitter Jester Music Festival and Float and Fireworks event at Hidden Creek AquaPark.
This is in addition to scrapping Memorial Day observances and "Food Truck Thursdays." That event, according to the city, "will be reevaluated in June when additional data becomes available."
Honors for fallen servicemen and women may be incorporated into the Veterans Day celebration in November.
"This decision took into account the lead time for planning the events and was made after careful consideration based on the consensus of public health officials," said Mayor Nancy Rotering. "Data suggests that large gatherings present a great risk for transmission of COVID-19. We must stay the course to reduce exposure to this deadly illness so that we may be together again as soon as possible."
The city of Highland Park said it is hoping some of the other events can be rescheduled for the fall.
"While we are saddened to cancel our most popular free community events, the safety of our residents is of paramount importance," said Brian Kaplan, President of the Board of Commissioners for the Park District of Highland Park. "Our celebrations exemplify the spirit of Highland Park, and over the past several weeks, we have seen that spirit shine as we face this challenging time together."
