Kill Devil Hills postpones Fourth of July fireworks to Labor Day weekend

Fourth of July fireworks at Avalon Pier, 2018. [Kari Pugh photo]

The Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners on Wednesday night voted to postpone the town’s annual Fourth of July fireworks at Avalon Pier to Sept. 5, with a rain date of Sept. 6.

The town considered canceling the fireworks display entirely, but would have to pay cancellation fees between $7,000-$8,000 to renegotiate with the vendor for next year. The town would pay no fee to reschedule for September.

Under North Carolina’s phased reopening plans, town commissioners said they were worried governor’s orders on gathering size wouldn’t allow the fireworks show to go on July 4 at all.

Commissioners B.J. McAvoy and Terry Gray both said they’d prefer to see the fireworks display happen on the Fourth of July but agreed there may be clearer direction on coronavirus restrictions by September.

“It’s a tough one … I’m a Fourth of July guy,” Gray said. “But I hate to lose the money. If we can push it to Labor Day and buy more time and reevaluate it then without losing the money, I’d have to go with that.”

“No one can say we didn’t try hard to figure out a way to do it,” Mayor Ben Sproul said.

The decision makes Currituck County the only Outer Banks community not to cancel Fourth of July holiday fireworks. County commissioners earlier this month decided that this year’s fireworks show to celebrate Independence Day at the Whalehead Club in Corolla will still be held as planned on July 3.

The board announced they will also seek to hold a fireworks show at a location on the Currituck mainland.

Because July 4 is on a Saturday this year, the celebration at Historic Corolla Park had already been planned for the day before to avoid compounding traffic issues on the traditional weekly rental turnover day.

This story originally appeared on OBXToday.com. Read More local stories here.

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