Fourth of July Displays May Fall Victim to Economy

A Weakened Economy Puts Celebration of Independence Out of Reach

The price of a gallon of gasoline has topped $4.05, and the cost of everything else from food to clothing is following suit. It costs more to buy food, to buy durable goods and to simply drive to the store to do the buying. Consumers have seen this economic effect snowballing for months and now it is threatening a staple of summertime festivities: the Fourth of July.

The main event of most Fourth of July celebrations is, of course, a fireworks display that lights up the sky in colorful celebration of American independence. As the economy plunges downward and costs shoot upwards like an out of control bottle rocket, already expensive fireworks displays are moving out of the "expensive luxury" into the "unaffordable" category for cash-strapped municipalities.

One such community, the city of Cocoa Beach, Florida, has been forced to cancel its traditional ocean-side firework display citing an overly strained budget. With a price tag of nearly $70,000-including rental of barges for the display-city manager Charles Billias says that Cocoa Beach simply can not afford to put on the show. With no other alternatives, the city decided to scrap its plans for a half-hour long Fourth of July blowout. Next year's celebration may also be in question, as prohibitively high fuel and transport costs are expected to put the festivities further out of reach.

Other Central Florida displays, such as Altamonte Springs Red Hot and Boom, are also feeling the impact of the faltering economy. Costs for the massive Independence Day display, including appearances by superstars such as Jessica Simpson, easily top the $100,000 mark and would be out of reach if the city were left to fund the event out of its own pocket. With heavy corporate sponsorship picking up the bulk of the tab, though, Central Florida's largest Fourth of July celebration will take place as scheduled on Thursday, July 3^rd.