BLADENSBURG, Md. (DC News Now) — This holiday weekend is going dark in some cities as fireworks displays are being canceled, including one of the biggest ones in Prince George’s County held in College Park, Maryland.
The city in partnership with the University of Maryland College Park canceled their annual Independence Day Fireworks show due to “COVID-19’s continued impact on the supply chain.” That means some people will have to travel for their traditional celebration.
The town of Bladensburg had no issues with fireworks this year. They brought back their annual Bladensburg Fireworks Independence Day Celebration on Friday.
“We spoke with multiple vendors and it’s never come up about fireworks shortages or anything. So we’ve been pretty blessed to have our first vendor be set and ready to go for today,” said Ray Jefferies, Marketing Specialist for the town of Bladensburg.
This is the first time they’re hosting the event since 2019.
“This is the biggest event we’ve had in three years. So we know we’re expecting a lot of people to come at least 3000 so there’ll be plenty of festivities for everyone today,” he said.
The return of the Bladensburg Independence Day Celebration took months of planning, and with the nearby city, College Park canceling its fireworks Bladensburg does expect to see more people come out.
“So expect a very good community environment it’s a free family event. So we’re expecting an extravagant atmosphere with tons of people and tons of fun so it should be very exciting,” he said.
He’s hoping Friday’s event brings the community together once again.
“We just hope people experience a sense of happiness, growth and innovation from the town of Bladensburg,” said Jefferies.
Even though College Park canceled its fireworks display, the city does plan to host the first-ever parade on July 4th.
You can also catch fireworks this weekend at Bowie Baysox Stadium, Six Flags and the city of Laurel.