Jellico cancels Fourth of July festivities

The City of Jellico has joined a growing list of communities that have canceled their Fourth of July festivities due to COVID-19 concerns.

During a meeting Friday afternoon, the Jellico City Council voted to cancel all July 4 activities and fireworks, according to the LaFollette Press Facebook page.

Discover Jellico notes on its Facebook page that the decision was first made by a unanimous vote of the Jellico Tourism Committee, and then by a unanimous vote of the city council.

“The decision to cancel is related to the uncertain progression of the Covid-19 pandemic progression. In addition to safety concerns, both Committees are conscious of the profound financial impact Covid-19 has had on our local economy, businesses and families,” a post on the Discover Jellico Facebook page noted.

“We would like to acknowledge our dedicated volunteers, first responders, committee members, vendors, entertainers and everyone who makes our 4th of July Celebration one of the best! We look forward to future events where we can come together as a community again!”

On May 20, Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison announced that both the Fourth of July celebration and Old Fashioned Trading Days were being canceled for 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns.

The Corbin Tourism Commission made the decision on May 12 to cancel Corbin’s July 3 fireworks and Independence Day festivities.