El Paso-Area Fourth of July Parades Canceled Due to COVID-19

If you were wanting to celebrate the Fourth with a good old-fashioned parade of beauty queens, decorated cars and people in patriotic costumes and gear waving to the crowd I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

The El Paso del Norte Lions Club Fourth of July People’s Parade on the eastside, the Rotary Club of West El Paso Independence Day Parade, and the Town of Anthony Fourth of July Parade are the latest large-scale events affected by the continuing spread of COVID-19.

Because the annual celebrations usually bring out hundreds of people sitting and standing mostly shoulder to shoulder, the organizations that sponsor and plan each event made the decision to cancel in the best interest of public health.

Fourth of July Firework Displays

Also lacking this Fourth of July and also because of the coronavirus are most of the big public firework displays El Pasoans have come to know and love, including Fireworks over the Lake at Ascarate Park, and the Wet ‘N Wild and Southwest University Park sky shows.

The two that coronavirus won’t stop noted below will be scaled down or their execution altered to conform with health mandates and guidelines.

4th of July Fireworks Spectacular from Biggs Park

Although Pop Goes the Fort has been canceled, there will be a fireworks display on base. Fireworks will be launched from Biggs Park, but Biggs will not be open to the public. According to MWR, the fireworks will be shot 100 feet higher this year so more people can view them from their homes and the area that surrounds the park.

The display will be livestreamed on the MWR Facebook page at 9 p.m. (More Info)

Harvest Christian Center, 1345 New Harvest Pl.

Like the Ft. Bliss firework display, the center’s annual Freedom Festival event has been minimized to fireworks only. In-person, properly socially-distance viewing can be done from Brown Middle School parking lot, along Northwestern, or from the center’s driveway (but not the parking lot). Scheduled time between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. To listen to the music that will accompany the fireworks, tune in to 100.3 FM.

On a personal note, if you choose to attend those displays please wear face covering and physically distance from others.