Fireworks on the Fourth of July are rare in this year of COVID-19.
But there are a few holdouts in the Twin Cities metro.
Both Chaska and Chanhassen will light ‘em up on Saturday night.
With some restrictions.
Chaska will be a little more (new) normal, with so much wide open space in McKnight Park and Lake Jonathan city leaders feel social distancing guidelines can be followed.
“You know what, I’ve gotten more people calling and contacting me that have said they are very happy that we’re having them,” Chaska Mayor Mark Windschitl told Dave Lee on the WCCO Morning News. “They feel excited just to be able to get back to something that says it’s normal. “
Chaska didn’t commit to having the fireworks until the middle of May, when other communities started to cancel.
“How we looked at it, is that we now have to learn how to live with COVID,” Windschitl said. “It’s important to our residents to be able to get out and do something. We have to put some normalcy back in to our world a little bit.”
In Chanhassen, the fireworks will go off from the area around Lake Anne and Greenwood Shores Park, but the area is closed because of coronavirus concerns.
There are plans to broadcast the fireworks on a local cable television station, along with the city’s Facebook Live page.
“We’re asking people to stay home and enjoy them within their celebration,” said Chanhassen Mayor Elise Ryan. “There are some that some people will obviously be able to park their cars to see along some streets. We’re asking people to make sure that they social distance.”
Also not called off this year in Chanhassen is the annual flyover by historic planes in the afternoon.
And the fireworks to cap off the day.
“We’re very excited,” said Ryan. “It was something very important for our residents to still have that symbolism of celebrating the Fourth of July.”