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By: Hunter Riggall

Troup County Parks and Recreation will host its annual Fireworks Show and Celebration Saturday at Pyne Road Park. The show, originally scheduled for the Fourth of July, was postponed to August due to concerns about COVID-19.

The gates to the park will open at 4 p.m. and admission is $10 per vehicle. Attendees are asked to wear a mask and social distance at the event. Lance Dennis, director of Troup County Parks and Recreation, said there will also be hand sanitizer stations at several locations throughout the park.

In June, the county cited public health precautions, as well as restrictions at that time under Gov. Brian Kemp’s executive order as reasons to postpone the event. Troup County had 2,213 cumulative cases of COVID-19 as of Aug. 6, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Active cases are not known, though in the past two weeks, 259 new cases were reported. Troup County’s 7-day moving average is 13.4 cases per day, as reported by GDPH. That’s down from 25.9 two weeks ago. That number was hovering between 30-50 from mid-June through the first week of July, when the new case rate started to lower. 

Dennis said he hopes people will stay close to their cars with their families and celebrate in small, distanced groups. Unlike last year’s event, there will be no live music or stage, nor will there be a play zone for kids.

Local vendors will sell food and other refreshments. Dennis said an estimated four vendors will be on site, about half as many as last year. 

Pyne Road Park will be closed until 4 p.m., meaning boaters, fishers, swimmers or others will not be able to use the park until then. Dennis said the decision was made to prevent people from “making a day out of it,” which could complicate the county’s efforts to ensure safety.   

Fireworks will commence once the sky is totally dark, probably around 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m., Dennis said.The event will DJ’d and broadcast live on the radio by Eagles 102.3 FM. Jackson Services is sponsoring the fireworks show.

Last year’s event drew a record crowd of 920 cars and an estimated 150-200 boats. 

Dennis said he didn’t have a good feel for what this year’s turnout would be.
“We hope people will still come out, that we’ll get a good crowd … It’s one of the few things you can do,” Dennis said.

“It may not be the Fourth of July, but it’s a great opportunity to create more memories with your family during this time when the world is so haywire.”