KING CITY — King City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture will host its annual Independence Day aerial fireworks show this year, following approval from the board of directors last week.
The show will take place July 3, as it has the past few years other than in 2020, when it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the official announcement, the King City Chamber is now working to finalize funding for the show.
“For the last several years the Chamber of Commerce has raised money to put on the aerial fireworks show,” said Rob Cullen, one of the chamber’s board members. “We couldn’t have it last year because of the pandemic and we postponed it to this year, but even as of a week ago we didn’t know if we could have it.”
Cullen explained the deciding factor was Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement that California would fully reopen on June 15. He said the plans look the same as prior years, with the fireworks to be launched from the Stampede Grounds at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds.
According to Cullen, the Chamber is able to adjust in case there are lingering social distancing guidelines, and it could have the fireworks shot higher into the air so residents could watch from areas further away than the nearby city park.
The aerial fireworks show costs just under $20,000, and Cullen said the pandemic has affected this year’s fundraising. The Chamber is seeking $4,000 to finish paying for the show.
“This show is put on entirely by the generosity of business and individual donors,” Cullen said. “If people or businesses are interested in helping support the aerial fireworks show financially, then they can contact me at my office.”
Cullen can be contacted at [email protected] and 831-385-4831.
This year, July 3 will fall on a Saturday. Yet to be announced is whether other King City companies and organizations will host the annual Independence Day parade, cruise or car show.
The city-organized fireworks booths have already had their nonprofit organizations chosen, the Mustang Bench and King City Little League, and those booths will go up closer to July.
