Overview

• Last year’s event drew more than 30,000 attendees and saw a fireworks-related blaze that burned up to ten acres and damaged a resident’s home.
• Emergency crews struggled to reach multiple incidents through crowds and blocked streets, leading officials to question the festival’s safety.
• Councilmember Casey determined that relocating to the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds was not fiscally responsible for this year’s celebration.
• Local business owners, including a liquor store operator near Almaden Lake Park, warned the cancellation could cut into their peak holiday sales.
• San Jose has confirmed a waterfront fireworks display at Lake Cunningham Park on July 4 and is studying drone spectacles as a lower-risk alternative