The All-American tradition of celebrating the birth of the country by blowing up a small piece of it has come to an end in Santa Monica with the cancellation of the City’s only public fireworks display.
Santa Monica College announced this month that Celebrate America, its patriotic July 4 event, has been canceled due to a lack of funding.
At the SMC Board of Trustee’s April meeting, Superintendent Kathryn E. Jeffery said contracts for the event are typically submitted to the Board in April. However, partners that have traditionally helped fund the event have dropped out and as the college cannot use general funds to support a non-educational event, the show will be canceled.
Celebrate America costs the college about $100,000 a year to organize. Up to the Covid pandemic, that cost was split up to 50-50 between sponsors and the college.
Don Girard, Senior Director of Government Relations and Institutional Communications, said the City of Santa Monica contributed about $20,000, SMC student government would contribute about $15,000, sponsorships from the business community ranged from $5 - $10 plus some additional revenue from the school’s parking lots on the night of the show.
“They’ve all dropped out,” said Girard. “The City has used its own financial circumstances to say that it’s not a priority of the city so they’re not interested in supporting it and the associated students are also spending their money elsewhere and on other things so those sources weren’t available to us. The business community is dealing with its own stresses and on top of that, the college is dealing with its own financial stresses.”
Girard said the City hasn’t actually funded the event for several years and the combined loss in funding is just too much for the college at a time when its own revenues are in decline.
Celebrate America has been the only official fireworks show in the City for decades. The City of Santa Monica used to organize a municipal show on the beach but ended the practice about 25 years ago after crowds and violence marred the beach-front event. Santa Monica College stepped into the void and held a show every year up to Covid. The show was put on hiatus from 2020-2022 returning in 2023. However, everyone involved in paying for the show has seen their fortunes decline in the post Covid era.
Despite recent tax increases, the city’s fiscal prognosis is not good, requiring the use of $33.2 million from General Fund reserves over the next five years to maintain balance. Compounding this strain are substantial legal liabilities, particularly from the Eric Uller settlement, which has already cost the city $230 million, with additional claims still unresolved. The ongoing California Voting Rights Act lawsuit also continues to drain resources, with legal costs projected at $6 million over the current and next fiscal year.
The city's once robust tourism industry continues to suffer and an exodus of corporate businesses have driven the daytime population to 60% of pre-pandemic levels. The lack of people has in turn hit local businesses and key revenue streams like sales tax, parking fees, and hotel taxes. Those impacts were magnified recently due to the nearby wildfires that have disrupted the region’s workforce and spending habits.
Santa Monica College has seen its reserves steadily decline in recent years and has a projected deficit of up to $9 million for the next year.
Locals still have nearby options to see something go boom. Marina Del Rey traditionally hosts a fireworks show and the Beach Club straddles city limits on the northern edge of town allowing them to secure a Los Angeles permit for a private show.
Inside city limits, Jeff Jarow said he is planning to expand the already popular July 4 parade. He said this year's event will incorporate many of the Palisadian residents who were burned out of their homes.
“This is the 150 year anniversary so we’re going to really ride on that wave and bring in the Palisades as well,” he said. “I’m going to try to get the Pali marching band. I want to do things that we’ve never done before. If it comes off the way I envision, it will be a high bar to set for future parades.
For more information on the parade, including sponsorship and participation information, visit https://www.santamonicaparade.com/.
