Like most things 2020 has brought us, this year celebrating the Fourth of July will look a little different. The City of Franklin has “made the difficult decision” to cancel all of its Fourth of July events including “Franklin on the Fourth,” a day-long festival on the Square, and the Franklin Fireworks, an evening concert at the Park at Harlinsdale Farm followed by the city’s fireworks display.
In a statement from City Administrator Eric Stuckey, he said, “It was a very difficult decision to cancel our Fourth of July events. However, with the current guidelines for physical distancing and large gatherings, we feel canceling is the best decision to make at this time. These events draw more than 10,000 attendees and it would be difficult to responsibly practice social distancing." Looking forward, Stuckey emphasized, “We want to thank the Franklin Lions Club, Friends of Franklin Parks, and WAKM AM-950 for their partnership with the City of Franklin over the years and look forward to working with them on a bigger and better celebration in 2021.”
Just because the massive gatherings to watch fireworks and large neighborhood block parties are gone, that doesn’t mean we can't have more fun on a smaller scale. There are lots of options for ways to incorporate your friends and family in small groups or via social media platforms.
Best Red, White & Blue Food Contest
Kids and adults can get in on creating a red, white and blue dish. You can start with breakfast and try a dish for every meal; the possibilities are endless. This one can easily be done socially distant by sharing photos, though it’ll take a bit of trust on the taste parameter.
Tye Dye Fun
All the rage in quarantine! Why not set up a station and get patriotic with the colors? People often think just t-shirts when tie dye is brought up, but in the age of Amazon, anything white cotton you can get shipped to you will do. Think bandannas, tank tops, hand towels, reusable totes, athletic socks and more!
Patriotic Decorating Contest
Have the kids decorate something. Think age appropriate for your group. It could be bikes, or even cars, for kids that have access to either type of wheels. With little or big kids, cupcakes, cookies or ice cream sundaes are also a fun option. Want to include a larger group? Have a neighborhood-wide mailbox or porch decorating contest or park the decorated cars in driveways and include everyone.
Custom Cocktails
Oftentimes, kids are the focus of Fourth of July fun. But adults can be included too! Make up a festive cocktail or add a little food coloring to a favorite drink and get creative with the garnish. This year is the year to add extra effort or be a little fancy since your party size is limited.
And don’t forget simple summertime activities will make a big impact: watermelon eating contests, slip n slides and making ice cream are just a few ideas.