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The night Apopka went dark

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Fireworks show canceled due to "lightning-related issues"

It was billed as a celebration of the 4th of July at the Apopka Amphitheater. "Food, Fun, and Fireworks. Kid inflatables, face painting, live entertainment from 6-9 pm, and an amazing firework display".

And all of that happened...except the fireworks.

Apopka went dark on Wednesday. A fireworks display scheduled for 9 PM was delayed and then canceled due to an announced reason of "lightning-related issues". Initially, it was said the fireworks would begin at 9:05, but then an announcement was finally made around 9:40 PM that said the fireworks display was canceled due to the weather. Two sources with the City stated it was the fireworks company who made the decision to cancel, not the City.

It was also stated that a Labor Day event would be held free of charge that would include fireworks. Those that attended the Independence Day event were charged $10.

At the time of publication, the City had not responded to The Apopka Voice's text message for details but did release an announcement that a statement was forthcoming.

"After a great concert and lots of fun for all, we were all so very disappointed that the fireworks were unable to be displayed," said Apopka City Commissioner Doug Bankson. "The weather seemed to have cleared early on, but we were told nearby lightning was the deciding factor that the fireworks company cited for the reason they would not set off the fireworks display. Disappointed families were a bit consoled by the announcement that there will be a Labor Day display free to the public to make up for the missed show, and most seemed to understand that you can’t control the weather. It still turned out to be a nice evening of music, food, and fun for families to celebrate the holiday."

"I want to apologize for the cancellation of fireworks last night," said Apopka City Commissioner Alice Nolan. "I had left early from the event to go home to work on the finishing touches of budget details for today. I have been speaking with the staff about what we can do to make up for everyone’s time and money that was spent on our event. I also am asking how we can prevent this from happening again with better communication with our public. Some major changes to communication will be happening soon and I appreciate everyone’s patience and continued support. I promise we are working on a way to make up for last night to the best of our abilities."

Apopka City Commissioner Kyle Becker also released a statement on Facebook that said:

"For those that came out to Apopka for a night of fun and fireworks, all I can say is...I’m sorry. I still do not have all of the details that led to the total cancellation of the fireworks and will work to find out from staff (though I know the Fire Department did not make the call to cancel as some have speculated). I’m sorry that you did not get your money’s worth, I’m sorry that proper notice was not provided until over 40 minutes had passed from the scheduled start time, and I am sorry you did not get a quality fireworks display you have grown accustomed to the past 2 years. My family was equally as disappointed as most of those there and will work to ensure there is some sort of reasonable outcome to this."

Note: This is a breaking story that will be updated by The Apopka Voice as more details are known.

4th of July, City of Apopka, Fireworks

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