LANCASTER, N.Y. — The Village of Lancaster will not be hosting its annual 4th of July festivities this year due to concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
The Village of Lancaster made the announcement Tuesday on its official website, saying the Lancaster Village Board unanimously voted to cancel the 4th of July parade, fireworks show and other Independence Day festivities in the interest of public health and safety.
Village of Lancaster Mayor William Schroeder says the village normally expects 8,000 to 10,000 people during the two to three day event, but fears those numbers would increase because other communities are cancelling their events as well.
"As much as we had hoped that conditions would allow us to hold these activities, our concerns over large gatherings and the enforcement of social distancing requirements led us to this decision," Schroeder in a statement. "Normally, we could anticipate crowds of 8000 to 10,000 people for the 2-3 day events and with so many other communities cancelling their events, we felt that those numbers would drastically increase, raising those numbers and increasing potential risks. It is our hope to be able to provide a more normal 4th of July Celebration next year. We want to make sure that our community can stay safe during these uncertain times."
