Many people will head to Smith Mountain Lake for the Fourth of July; however, there’s one long-time tradition that will be missing this year.
The Saunders Volunteer Fire Department has canceled the annual firework show at Parkway Marina. The original show was set to be held at Parkway Marina on July 3.
COVID-19 is the culprit once again this year, which lake dwellers said was disappointing to hear after it was canceled last summer for the same reason.
The show has been going on for the last 27 years. In the past, boats filled the water to watch the show in the sky.
This event requires so much fundraising, it takes more than 6 months to plan.
By the time the fire department and the marina learned that COVID-restrictions would be completely lifted, it was too late to get the events lined up.
“It’s a little disappointing because it’s always a nice event. I don’t have a boat, so I can’t come down and watch them from the water,” Mark Echelley, who has watched the show from his lake house for the last decade, says. “I’ll probably go up to town and watch the ones in Moneta or a lot of people at the end of my cove light off fireworks. Usually I can see some of Mitchell’s when they light them off.”
Businesses around the lake said they’re still counting on a busy holiday and that there will be many shows in the area folks can still catch from the lake.