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Blythewood cancels Juneteenth and Fourth of July events, cites safety concerns and rising security costs
Summary
Council reinforced cancellations of Juneteenth and July 4th events at the May 5 meeting after reviewing security gaps and estimated base security costs of roughly $14,000 for large events; council also cut or paused allocations for other town events pending further review.
Blythewood Town Council said it canceled this year’s Juneteenth and Fourth of July celebrations because the town cannot implement adequate safety measures in time and because costs for large-event security have increased.
During the May 5 budget work session councilors reviewed park security needs—fixed security cameras, temporary and permanent lighting, gates and fencing—and estimated base security costs of about $14,000 for large events. Council members noted that the July 4th celebration had previously drawn more than 13,000 attendees, and they concluded that, given rising attendance and current infrastructure gaps, the town could not reliably ensure public safety for large-scale events this season.
As a result, the council reaffirmed its decision to cancel the Juneteenth and July 4th events and temporarily reduced funding for other programs such as the movie-in-the-park and Rockin’ Red, White & Blue celebration, keeping a $25,000 placeholder in the budget for potential future planning. The minutes show the town previously discussed a $1 million philanthropic matching pledge for a farmers market but noted the pledge remained unconfirmed.
Christina Cruel, a community partner for Humana, told the council she supported continued collaboration on senior programming and sponsorships and asked if cancellations were due to security; council members responded that safety—not cost—was the primary reason and encouraged continued conversations about revenue-generating partnerships and venue rentals.
Staff will review remaining event funds, provide an itemized $81,000 estimate for Christmas lighting before the May 27 meeting, and circulate the breakdown via email for council review.
