We are sad to announce that the 75th Annual 4th of July Fireworks show has been canceled. See the press release below for details.
Truckee and North Lake Tahoe Regional officials cancel upcoming Fourth of July events in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; deferring to the state order (North Lake Tahoe-Truckee, Calif.) —
Truckee and North Lake Tahoe regional officials announced that they have made the tough decision to cancel the annual Fourth of July fireworks shows in Donner Lake, Truckee, and the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. Canceled events include the Fourth of July parade, which encompasses the Firecracker Mile in Historic Downtown Truckee, and any other events that take place through July 4 in Truckee and North Lake Tahoe. Concerts at Commons in Tahoe City and Kings Beach will also be canceled through the Fourth of July. Events later in the summer are still being planned for at this time.
“We know these events are traditions in our area that many hold dearly and inspire our community to come
together, and we want to assure you that this was a difficult decision that was made after extensive and careful
deliberation,” stated Truckee Mayor David Polivy. “The health and well-being of our residents, visitors, staff,
and volunteers is paramount. We want to look to the future and hope to come together to celebrate with our
community when it is safe and appropriate.”
“Placer County acknowledges the many long-standing partners, supporters and sponsors that participate in our
annual Fourth of July and seasonal events,” stated District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “While this was an
extremely difficult decision, with our current environment of uncertainty, safety is our top priority. We are
actively working toward the day that we can celebrate these events with our community again.”
The decision was made in consultation with area partners including the Truckee Downtown Merchants
Association, Truckee Chamber of Commerce, the Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District, North Tahoe
Business Association, Tahoe City Downtown Association, North Tahoe Public Utility District and Tahoe City
Public Utility District. Uncertainty around the state’s timeline to allow large public gatherings contributed to the
decision. The need to implement appropriate safety measures for large-scale events while also ensuring physical
distancing options for participants were also contributing factors.
Truckee and Placer County officials also recognize that large events take significant planning and safety checks,
and without certainty the events will be allowed in July, officials determined it was best to proceed cautiously
during this time.
Event organizers continue to discuss hosting community events in late summer or early fall, should the path to
reopen be on a viable timeline.
“At the end of the day, events are about our community and people who love North Lake Tahoe-Truckee
coming together to celebrate, not only about the events themselves,” stated North Tahoe Business Association
executive director Alyssa Reilly. “We are happy to discuss hosting community events later in the year, due to
these unprecedented circumstances.”
Kylee Bigelow, Tahoe City Downtown Association executive director, also added, “if the timeline to reopen
gives us enough lead time to safely host events in August or September, we would be happy to provide people
an opportunity to join together later in the year. We are all open to thinking outside of the box as we move
forward in this process together.”
The Fourth of July parade is produced by Truckee Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the Town. Lynn
Saunders, President and CEO Truckee Chamber of Commerce acknowledges that, “We know these events are a
long-standing tradition and are important to celebrate. They impact our local businesses and support our tourism
economy through the many people that visit our area over the Fourth of July weekend. This decision was not
easy. We look forward to the day when we will be able to safely come together for these fun community
events.”
The annual firework demonstrations bring thousands of visitors to the region in the days leading up to, and
during the holiday weekend. Officials hope these cancellations will reduce crowd concerns, and minimize the
possible spread of COVID-19.
Governor Newsom outlined a phased reopening plan for the state based on trends in case data and other key
indicators. The reopening process includes a four-stage plan with mass gatherings being the final phase.