Independence Day celebrations in the Puget Sound region are being canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Among the cancellations are the Fourth of July T-Town Family 4th in Tacoma, Federal Way’s Red, White and Blues Festival, and Auburn’s 4th of July Festival.
Tacoma’s event is one of the few—if not the only one–that might be resurrected this year in some format. Its organizers—the City of Tacoma, Metro Parks, and Festivals Inc.—announced a communitywide event may be planned for later in the summer when physical distancing mandates are lifted and if it is deemed safe to host large gatherings. But calling off the original schedule “is the right thing to do in the interest of public health,†said Metro Parks Commissioner Tim Reid.
Large events have been banned since mid-March 11 in response to health issues related to the pandemic.