The annual fireworks that are launched on the “Fourth on the Fifth” July in Wolfforth were canceled Tuesday due to poor weather conditions, the Chamber of Commerce said.
Terri Robinette, Director of Marketing and Business Development for the City of Wolfforth, said that the City hired the same company out of Oklahoma that puts together the show for Lubbock’s July 4 celebration. Wolfforth planned the annual event for the day after Independence Day, initially out of necessity, but also in order to allow residents to enjoy more than one celebration, Robinette said.
Luke Horne said he was enjoying the ambiance of the event with his girlfriend and was disappointed that the show was canceled.
“We could see the storm was coming,” Horne explained. “And the wind picked up.”
Horne, who waited for two hours for the show to start, said that another resident told him the fireworks show had been nixed.
“We decided not to call it after the first storm,” Robinette said, adding that the wind did not die down after it initially picked up.
Robinette explained that according to a state statute, professional fireworks shows are not allowed if wind speeds are over 20 miles per hour. She said the celebration on July 5 had become one of the biggest events in Wolfforth over the last three years.
“We could not shoot the show,” Robinette said. “Winds were 23 to 25 miles per hour, sustained.”
“Any time you plan an outdoor event, weather is going to be our main concern. This has happened before due to rain or what have you. It’s just one of those things that we have to deal with,” she said.
Robinette added that neither the Chamber of Commerce nor the City of Wolfforth had not made any new plans to reschedule the canceled show so far.