At the May 28, 2025 Board of Mayor and Commissioners Work Session, Chief of Police Harry Hess and DeKalb County Chief Fire Marshal Larry Labbe shared the news that the City will not be allowed to have a fireworks show in the foreseeable future due to the lack of an acceptable public location that passes safety guidelines under state law. 

The police chief collaborates annually with the chief fire marshal and the city's pyrotechnics provider to obtain a fireworks permit from DeKalb County to ensure the city can safely provide the fireworks display on Independence Day.

The site plans submitted last year by the pyrotechnics company, which had the launch site at the intersection of Lake Street and Washington Street adjacent to the Town Green, did not properly identify the transformer and power lines within the safety zone. The power lines were struck multiple times, making the launch location immediately unavailable for this year. 

Following the 2024 show, Chief Hess met multiple times with the chief fire marshal and the pyrotechnics company, where they spent hours reviewing aerial maps of the city and visited multiple public locations within the city to search for a suitable location. Unfortunately, no locations met the safety parameters needed to launch fireworks within the city.

Though popular with residents and beautiful when reflected on the water, in 2021 the City was informed by the chief fire marshal that the longstanding tradition of having fireworks at Lake Avondale could no longer occur due to the increase in the tree canopy in the area and the proximity to homes within the safety buffer.

City staff considered providing a drone show, but the size of the launch and landing site for the drones, as well as the safety zone, is as big or larger than required by standard fireworks. For every 100 drones, a 50-foot by 50-foot landing area is needed. This area must be reasonably flat and clear of obstructions that could impact takeoff and landing. The show expands in the air, and it is rare to have a show with less than 500 feet of width in the sky, with larger shows expanding from there.

The audience for both fireworks and drones must remain at least 150 feet away from the edge of the launch site’s safety zone.

The City is restricted to reviewing public property options since it cannot insure a private property owner against the liability associated with a commercial fireworks show. 

The City’s annual Fourth of July parade will go as planned, and the community is encouraged to sign up to participate in the celebration.