WILMINGTON, MA — The good news is the Wilmington Fourth of July Committee’s request for a special permit to hold a carnival on town-owned property was unanimously supported by the Wilmington Board of Appeals at its meeting on Wednesday night.
The bad news is, according to Wilmington Fourth of July Committee Chairman, the celebration may ultimately get cancelled due to COVID-19.
“If I had to guess today, we will not be having this celebration,” Scott Garrant told the Board. “But we need this special permit in place in case we are having the celebration.”
Suzanne Crooker, an abutter to the Town Common, called in with concerns about COVID-19.
“If this is the only [Fourth of July] event that occurs in the area, we would be a magnet for all people to gather here,” warned Crooker. “If the petitioner doesn’t withdraw the permit, we ask that the board deny the permit.”
Crooker added, if the permit was approved, that the Wilmington Board of Health must be consulted to add any necessary regulations to safeguard the community. Garrant said his committee has and will continue to consult with tehe Board.
Garrant revealed that the Fourth of July Committee will meet on May 5, 2020, when it will likely make a decision on whether or not to hold this year’s celebration.
“We’ve been in contact with town officials. We’re all well aware of the pandemic. We’re trying to stay on top of things and how it may affect the celebration,” explained Garrant. “We’re meeting on May 5th and I anticipate a decision — one way or another — that evening.”
Garrant added that he did not think postponing the celebration will be an option, in part, because the carnival vendor — Cushing s Amusement — would likely be unavailable later in the year.
If the celebration does take place, it will look similar to recent years and take place from Wednesday, July 1 to Saturday, July 4. The carnival, located in the Fourth of July Building’s parking lot, would run from 6pm to 10pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and noon to 10pm on Saturday. The layout and key components — meals, concerts, games, parking, shuttle bus, 15 rides in the carnival with half kiddie and half adults — would remain as it has essentially been since 2016.
One key change, however, would be the addition of a second night of fireworks to commemorate the celebration’s 40th anniversary. Fireworks would take place on the evenings of both Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4.
“I really truly hope everything goes forward,” said Board of Appeals Chairman Dan Veerman. “I want everything to get back to normal.”
“For me and a few others, it’s our last year [volunteering on the Committee],” responded Fourth of July Committee Chairman Scott Garrant. “We’re certainly hoping [the celebration] comes together.”
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