NAPLES, Fla. — A different approach for the 4th of July in the city of Naples but still trying to light the candles while Naples celebrates 100 years.
Earlier this month, the Naples City Council voted, unanimously, to cancel the fireworks for the Independence Day holiday in 2023. The council pointed to safety concerns on the Naples Pier, severely damaged by Hurricane Ian nearly nine months ago. In past years, a barge, sitting off-shore and north of the Naples Pier, serves as the launch point for the fireworks.
Between keeping people safe and the potential liability, the council is now looking at December 1 for a fireworks display. That date would still be before the end of the year as Naples is celebrating its centennial from its founding in 1923.
Sharon Post, a Naples resident, agreed with the safety concerns to not host the fireworks display in two weeks but also would rather see this celebration wait until 2024.
"I don't think December 1 would be a good time to do that," said Post. "I would do fireworks next year on the 4th of July."
The city will still host a parade on July 4 in downtown Naples from 10 a.m. until noon.
Even with no fireworks celebration for the city of Naples, people will just have to look east -- a little further east than in previous years -- to satisfy their fireworks fix.
Instead of the staging area of Sugden Regional Park, Collier County Parks, and Recreation leaders are shifting north and east to Paradise Coast Sports Complex for the site.
"We know that we're going to receive an overwhelming response of people wanting to see the fireworks," said Olema Edwards, parks and recreation director for Collier County. "We moved the location so we could accommodate parking."
Edwards said the Sports Complex has about 1,300 parking spaces and has room for more parking, should the size of the crowd demand it. Instead of the approximate crowd of 3,000 at Sugden, Edwards said the complex can handle about 5,000 people.
For people in Marco Island, Edwards also recommends free parking on July 4 after 6 p.m. at Tigertail Beach Park for the display on South Marco Island.
