Because its own Fourth of July celebration was halted years ago, the city of El Dorado will assist in a countywide Independence Day celebration that has grown steadily since it was launched seven years ago.
The El Dorado City Council signed off on a request by Mayor Frank Hash to contribute $1,500 to the 2018 Forth Family Fireworks Show, which will be held July 4 in Parkers Chapel.
Hash presented the request on April 19, saying then that he had been approached by event organizers, who asked if the city could help out.
Organizer Charlene Forth said she was excited about the city’s willingness to support the event.
“That means we can have it. This is 100 percent funded by gracious businesses and industries giving their money,” Worth said. “For the city to back us and give us $1,500 toward the event, prior to that, we may not have had it.”
Worth said organizers were experiencing difficulty raising money for the event this year and the city’s contribution has provided a boost to fundraising efforts.
She said this is the first time the group has approached the city and after some brainstorming, organizers got the idea to speak to Hash about the matter.
“He said, ‘I think we can do this.’ It’s now 75 percent funded. I appreciate the help from the city,” Worth continued. "It says that the city appreciates what we do and we want to make it happen, and that’s what it’s about — everybody working together for the citizens to have a good time.”
The Forth Family — with assistance from area businesses, industries and other groups, including Project SOUTH — started the celebration in 2011, the same year the long-running Fantastic Fourth celebration in El Dorado fizzled out.
In the years before the event was shut down, Fantastic Fourth and the fireworks display that usually culminated the day’s activities were marred by cancellations and delays due to drought conditions, rain and the primary sponsor pulling out.
The El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce last presented the event in 2010, which was its 30-year anniversary and had planned one last Fantastic Fourth in 2011.
Henry Florsheim, former chamber president and chief executive officer, announced then that the chamber was moving away from organizing community events that were not directly related to economic development.
“Unfortunately, with the Fourth of July, there just wasn’t time to completely turn it over to someone else and we’ve offered publicly to anyone else who wants to host an event out there, they can do it,” he said.
The fireworks display was postponed that year because of hot, dry weather and a burn ban that had been issued for Union County.
The burn ban included fireworks discharge, said Fire Chief Chad Mosby.
On April 19, Hash noted continued concerns about dry weather and hazardous conditions in El Dorado that caused the Fantastic Fourth fireworks display to be moved from Memorial Stadium to the Union County Fairgrounds.
Mosby recalled the decision by the El Dorado Fire Department to relocate the event from Memorial Stadium to the Union County Fairgrounds in the 1990s.
“We were going out and putting out spot fires in people’s yards and on top of their homes because of pine straw that was catching fire,” Mosby said.
Those issues were heightened at the fairgrounds due to residential neighborhoods in close proximity and the wooded area that is adjacent to the fairgrounds.
“For the last couple of years, there was a pretty extended drought that prevented it at the fairgrounds,” Mosby said.
He said 2017 was the first year in a while that a burn ban was not in effect during Independence Day, and the EFD approved a professional fireworks display for the El Dorado Golf and Country Club.
Country club board member Toddy Pitard said another fireworks display is scheduled for June 30 at the country club.
The event is open to club members and their guests only. Pitard said the fireworks are visible from the perimeter surrounding the country club, and last year, citizens gathered in those areas to watch the fireworks.
“There used to be one there many years ago, and since the one at the fairgrounds had been canceled, we decided to reopen it for our members and their families and kids to enjoy,” Pitard said.
Mike Dumas, president and CEO of the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber is happy to help the Forth family host the Fourth of July event in Parkers Chapel.
“We’ve talked about bringing back the Fantastic Fourth celebration, but Parkers Chapel is letting them use the football stadium out there,” Dumas said. “There’s no place here to set the fireworks off. (Charlene) Forth puts in a lot of effort out there, and we’ll help them fundraise.”
Alderman Billy Blann asked if it was permissible for the city to spend money outside city limits for such an event, and Hash said the money was considered an expense for parks’ activities for an event that is open to the public and operates through a nonprofit group.
“There’s a lot of people from El Dorado who go out there and enjoy it,” Hash said.
“This is grassroots. No one is getting paid to do this. It’s a fireworks show that is put on by the community for the community,” Forth said.
She said details about the event are forthcoming.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].