Organizers say a perfect storm of circumstances has forced them to cancel the annual Red, White & Boom event that celebrates Independence Day.
Event leaders held a news conference Monday morning, June 30, 2014, at which they expressed optimism that the event would be able to go on as scheduled. They were given preliminary approval to shoot fireworks from the Centennial Bridge, but the fireworks vendor said the size and caliber of the fireworks made that bridge unsafe as a launch point.
As the day progressed, officials in Davenport and Moline also made decisions to close roads and venues along the Mississippi River, as the water level continued to quickly rise beyond forecast levels after several days of heavy rain.
The combination of circumstances led to the decision to cancel the event for safety reasons.
“One of the spectacular things about Red, White & Boom! is our ability to put on a top-notch fireworks show over the Mississippi River,” says Kyle Carter, Executive Director, Downtown Davenport Partnership. “In this case however, due to flooding, we’re not able to produce a quality show that would meet the expectations of our community.”
“Safety, flooding, and quality were our primary concerns in making this decision,” said Carter. “The committee will be considering our future options.”