Thanks, Drought and Heat: All the Fourth of July Fireworks Cancellations to Date

Following a hot and dry stretch in Colorado, many Fourth of July fireworks shows are cancelled. Here's a list of the communities that have already said they won't have theirs.

By Chris Bianchi

July 3, 2018

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

On Thursday, June 28, Denver tied its all-time hottest temperature on record, with the mercury soaring to 105 degrees at the official observation site at Denver International Airport. Couple that with a bone-dry June to date, and many Fourth of July plans — including fireworks — could be at risk.

Burn bans are in place across most of Colorado, something that'll surely impact campers hoping to head up for the Fourth and the weekend after it. If you're looking to camp and still have a fire, only the far northern counties in Colorado are currently without a burn ban, which are in place because of a hot, dry stretch in Colorado, one that's already triggered several wildfires and could create more.

Through last Thursday, Denver had only seen 0.43 inches of rainfall so far this month, less than a quarter of what we typically should have in that time span. Additionally, monthly temperatures in Denver were running 5.4 degrees above average through Thursday, making last month the second-warmest June on record. That all creates a tricky environment for colorful explosions.

Grand Lake just joined the roster of Colorado municipalities that have cancelled their fireworks displays. Here's our list of other cities whose official fireworks shows have been canceled because of the dry conditions:

1. Alamosa (postponed to late summer/early fall )
2. Aspen (drone show instead)
3. Avon
4. Basalt (not canceled but unlikely to have fireworks)
5. Beaver Creek
6. Breckenridge
7. Buena Vista
8. Cañon City
9. Castle Rock
10. Copper Mountain
11. Creede
12. Crested Butte
13. Durango
14. Fairplay
15. Frisco
16. Fruita
17. Glenwood Springs
18. Gypsum
19. Idaho Springs (rescheduled for December 1)
20. Keystone
21. Kiowa
22. Mantiou Springs
23. Ouray
24. Pagosa Springs
25. Palmer Lake
26. Rifle
27. Silverton
28. Simla
29. Snowmass (unlikely to have fireworks)
30. Steamboat Springs (laser show instead)
31. Telluride
32. Vail
33. Woodland Park

More shows are likely to get canceled at the last minute; be sure to check on the particular show you want to see before you head out.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.