Several cities across the United States have canceled their Fourth of July celebrations just before the holiday.
These cities are citing several reasons for canceling or postponing their celebrations, including fears that Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers might use the event to arrest people, as well as concerns about overcrowding.
Why It Matters
Independence Day is typically celebrated with large gatherings and fireworks displays, but current events and city budgets are affecting how people spend the holiday in 2025.
These cancellations also come as the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have said they are working together to ensure there are no terrorism incidents over the holiday weekend, amid fears of a lone-wolf attack similar to the New Year’s Eve attack in New Orleans.
What To Know
The cities that have canceled their celebrations or limited their festivities as of July 3 are:
County of Los Angeles: East LA Rockin’ 4th of July
The Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department has canceled East LA’s Rockin’ 4th of July celebration, among other community events, “out of caution, and in response to recent ICE enforcement activity impacting our communities.”
Bell Gardens, CA: All events
The city of Bell Gardens has canceled all Independence Day events due to concerns about ICE. The predominantly Hispanic city has been hosting several events over the past few months aimed at educating immigrants on their rights regarding ICE arrests.
Esparto Area, CA: Five Fireworks Displays
Displays in Lodi Lake, El Dorado, Chico, Cloverdale, and St Helena have all been canceled following an explosion at the warehouse containing fireworks for these events. Seven people are still unaccounted for following the blast, causing the displays to be canceled out of respect for those affected.
Whittier, CA: 4th of July Freedom Walk
The city of Whittier has canceled its 4th of July Freedom Walk following community concerns about the event. Although city officials did not reference ICE in the announcement, Whittier has seen an increase in ICE activity over the past months.
Mayor Joe Vinatieri cited “recent feedback we’ve received from some community members” as the reason for canceling the event. Whittier is still hosting a fireworks display at York Field.
SeaTac, WA: Fireworks/Drone Display
The city of SeaTac has canceled its fireworks display, citing concerns over crowd control and safety. David Inman, the city’s communications director, said Angle Lake Park, where the display takes place, has a capacity of 3,200 people, but 10,000 people came last year with only 10 police officers on duty.
A statement from the city said: “We simply cannot ensure a safe environment for large nighttime events at this time.”
Inman has said this decision is not related to last year’s drone disaster, when the city shifted away from fireworks and spent $40,000 on a drone display, only for 55 of the 200 drones to fall into the lake.
Itasca, IL: Fireworks Display
The village of Itasca is known for hosting the largest Fourth of July fireworks display in Illinois, but has had to cancel the famous event this year. Village administrator Carrie Ergo said it was an “extremely difficult decision to make.”
The display has been canceled due to construction around Hamilton Lakes Business Park. The building works led to limited space for the holiday crowd. This is in addition to existing concerns about crowd control, as the event has become a lot more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, and has led to community issues, including drunk and disorderly behavior and trespassing.
The village was faced with a dilemma of either significantly increasing its budget to accommodate the changes or canceling the event this year.
What People Are Saying
Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri said in a press release: “While celebrating our nation’s founding is very important to me and to Whittier residents, my colleagues and I also want to be sensitive to the recent feedback we’ve received from some community members asking that we pause this year’s Freedom Walk event.”
Itasca Village Administrator Carrie Ergo said in a press release: “This was an extremely difficult decision to make. Itasca takes great pride in hosting the biggest and best fireworks show in Northern Illinois. Our first priority is always protecting the safety and security of Itasca residents, businesses, and visitors. Given the unique challenges presented this year, we cannot confidently recommend hosting fireworks in 2025.”
Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation said on social media: “It is with deep respect and a heavy heart that the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation announces…the cancellation of this year’s East Los Angeles Rockin 4th of July celebration. Out of caution, and in response to recent ICE enforcement activity impacting our communities, we are prioritizing safety and well-being of our residents, visitors, and staff.”
What Happens Next
The vast majority of Fourth of July events will still take place across the country.
There are also mass protests against the Trump administration planned for the holiday weekend. Organized by the Women’s March, the “Free America Weekend” protests will take place in cities across 34 states, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Montgomery, Houston, and Seattle.
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