After initially saying that its Fourth of July celebration would be taking place, the city of Soddy-Daisy announced Wednesday that all scheduled events are canceled.
Meanwhile, event organizers in Dunlap, Tennessee, confirmed this week that Confederate Railroad will headline the Fourth of July music festival at Harris Park on July 4 and that the parade and fireworks will take place as usual.
Robert Cothran, president of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 942, which organizes the Soddy-Daisy festival, said the recent spike in coronavirus cases in Hamilton County led organizers to rethink their initial plans.
"We really wrestled over this," he said. "But we decided just for the safety of everybody, let's just call if off. We'd rather be safe than sorry."
Soddy-Daisy's festival typically includes a car show, arts and crafts vendors, food concessions and live music at the Kids Park on the north end of the city, with the fireworks finale over Soddy Lake nearby.
Many area municipalities and organizations have canceled Independence Day festivities because of concerns about large gatherings during the pandemic. Organizers in Soddy-Daisy believed the lack of options elsewhere around Hamilton County likely would have meant larger crowds for their events.
After leaders of the VVA chapter met with city officials about their concerns, the consensus was that "an overabundance of caution" was in order, said Bridgett Raper, communications strategist for the Small Cities Coalition of Hamilton County, of which Soddy-Daisy is a member.
"You just cannot follow social-distancing guidelines," she said.
Some cities have canceled community festivals but are still planning fireworks displays, including Fort Payne, Alabama, on July 2, and LaFayette, Georgia, on July 3.
Athens, Tennessee, officials are hoping to minimize crowds by opting for high-altitude fireworks for this year's July 4 display. The larger pyrotechnics go higher and can be seen from farther away. Athens Regional Park, where people usually congregate to watch the show, will be closed for viewing.
Email Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com.