Carlyle Lake fireworks canceled because pyrotechnic crew fell sick with COVID
COVID-19 canceled Fourth of July festivities all over the country last year, so people have been making plans for this year with a renewed sense of excitement.
That’s why it was so disappointing when organizers were forced to cancel Saturday night’s fireworks show at Carlyle Lake. They had learned on Tuesday evening that members of its pyrotechnic crew were ill, and they couldn’t find anyone to replace them.
“Our shooter came down with COVID, and that can’t be helped,” said Peggy Hilmes, chairwoman of the fireworks committee. “They live in southern Missouri, where it’s really bad, that new strain. ... He’s not hospitalized. He’s just terribly sick.”
The Delta variant of the coronavirus has caused a recent surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Missouri and other states with low vaccination rates.
Thousands of people go to Carlyle Lake for Fourth of July fireworks each year, including many who watch from boats. The lake and surrounding properties are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Other Fourth of July activities include a Dam Jam with live bands, Beach Blast games for kids and a Sand Castle Building Contest. All will be held Saturday at Dam West Recreation Area as planned.
“With there not being any fireworks, the food vendor pulled out,” said Darren Murphy, lead ranger at Carlyle Lake. “So there will be no food vendor. But other than that, we’ve still got everything else going on during the day. I’m sure we’ll have a pretty good crowd out here.”
Murphy noted that people can bring coolers and picnic baskets and use barbecue grills on the grounds. He expects many will drive to Greenville or Albers for fireworks shows that evening.
The Carlyle Lake fireworks show has been rescheduled for Sept. 4 on Labor Day weekend.
“It’s disappointing for us, too,” Murphy said of the last-minute cancellation. “We were really looking forward to it this year, especially with the weather we were going to get.”
As of Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service was calling for sunny skies on Saturday with a high temperature near 83 degrees and clear on Saturday night with a low around 63 in the Carlyle Lake area.
Tradition for nearly 30 years
The annual Carlyle Lake fireworks show began in 1992, according to Hilmes, who got involved the following year. The location has been changed due to flooding, but last year was the first time it was canceled. Coronavirus restrictions prohibited large gatherings.
The committee spends $13,000 to $15,000 each year on fireworks, Hilmes said. That includes a grant from the city of Carlyle and donations from businesses, individuals and people who visit a haunted Halloween trail in October.
Hilmes had arranged for this year’s fireworks show to be bigger and better than usual since the committee saved money last year. It contracts with AM Pyrotechnics, based in Buffalo, Missouri.
“We’ve already paid him (for this year),” Hilmes said Friday. “He’s already bought the product. The fireworks are sitting in a bunker.
“A lot of people have said, ‘You should demand a refund.’ But what good would that do me? He’s promised to do a show for us on Labor Day, and for the 10-plus years I’ve been working with him, he’s always been a man of his word.”
Representatives of AM Pyrotechnics couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.
Murphy, Hilmes and others spent Wednesday morning calling all known licensed pyrotechnic operators in Illinois, hoping to find a crew that was booked for Sunday, July 4, but not for Saturday, July 3.
After exhausting all possibilities, they canceled the fireworks show on Wednesday afternoon. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cited “unforeseen circumstances” in a news release on its website.
As of Friday, the city of Carlyle website still listed fireworks as part of Fourth of July activities at Carlyle Lake.
Admission to Dam West Recreation Area is free on Saturday. The Dam Jam and Sand Castle Building Contest will begin at 1 p.m. Bands include Kendell Johnson at 1 p.m., The Jumpstarts at 2:30 p.m., Stump Water Shine at 4 p.m., Simple Therapy at 6 p.m. and Double Shot at 7:30 p.m.
Visitors aren’t allowed to bring their own fireworks, including sparklers, onto U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property.
