‘A moment of enjoyment.’ How Kentucky communities are planning for July 4 amid COVID-19

When Jamie Bewley Byrd of Barren County learned that her town’s Fourth of July fireworks show was being called off, she decided to raise the money for a makeup show.

“It really bothered me,” Byrd said. “It’s a huge economic thing for this area. And rather than let people go to another area I thought ‘why can’t we have them here?’”

Byrd started a GoFundMe and made an announcement on Facebook. Byrd said a day after launching the fundraiser, around $16,000 had been donated, including a $6,000 donation from the Friends of Barren River Lake.

Even with the concerns for public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, Byrd said she still thinks there is a way for health protocol to be followed while celebrating July 4, as long as people stay with their families and watch the show that way.

“I think that there’s a time that we allow people to make the right decisions,” Byrd said.

Byrd said the show will be held at Barren River Lake and the fireworks will be launched from a hill, allowing for greater visibility for spectators.

Other cities have moved to alternative plans for celebrating the Fourth of July due to the pandemic. Lexington released its plans for its July 4 celebration, canceling the annual parade and other events, but maintaining plans for fireworks. Other cities and towns around Lexington have also reworked their festivities.

Bill May, the mayor of Frankfort, said the city will not hold a fireworks show on the Fourth of July, but will postpone it two months and will launch on Sept. 4 at Capitol View Park.

Richmond on the other hand will continue with its fireworks show on July 4 starting at 10 p.m.

Erin Moore, director of Recreation Administration for Richmond Parks and Recreation, said some recreational businesses will be open, but no other events are scheduled for July 4 other than the fireworks.

“We are working with our local radio station here, and they will be putting the patriotic music on the radio while the fireworks are going on so people are in their cars and they can listen to the radio at the same time,” Moore said.

Moore said her department has not received any specific instructions from Frankfort on how best to handle the celebration, although the Parks department has already enacted different social distancing guidelines.

“Our parks have been open,” Moore said. “So we’ve instructed people to socially distance. We’ve got signs up at our bathroom facilities stating that people need to go one family at a time into the restrooms.”

Moore said there are hand washing stations set up throughout Richmond’s parks and the parking lots where spectators can watch the fireworks are already far apart.

“Our parking lots are pretty split out at Lake Reba so we felt that people would be able to socially distance appropriately,” Moore said.

Versailles has also changed its Fourth of July plans. Mike Coleman, a member of the Versailles City Council, said his town scrapped their original plans for fireworks and vendors and will instead honor its veterans with videos on Facebook.

Coleman said to be included in the celebration, a veteran had to be from Woodford County or had to have a link to Woodford County.

“We have 48 [veterans] from Versailles and 20 from Midway,” Coleman said.

Additionally, there will be a door decorating contest for storefronts.

Amy Fitch is the director of the Wilmore Parks and Recreation department. Fitch said currently, Wilmore is trying to work out having a parade on July 4.

“We’re kind of still working through the details, and hopefully we will be able to have it,” Fitch said.

Fitch said the route for the parade is normally around a mile long. Parade participants are She said this will help spectators remain socially distant from each other, and mask wearing will be encouraged as well.

FItch said she hopes the parade will be held just for Wilmore, without many visitors coming from other towns and cities, since COVID-19 is so easily spread.

“I’m not gonna do any advertising and that kind of stuff,” Fitch said. “Any other year we would hope for the tourists type attractions but this year we do not hope for that.”