Simpsonville:
The July Fourth celebration planned in Simpsonville has been canceled.
The city issued the following statement.
"In the interest of public health and due to social distancing requirements and restrictions on large gatherings, the City of Simpsonville has canceled for 2020 its annual Independence Day celebration Celebrate Simpsonville."
Sister Hazel, who was headlining the event, will perform at Celebrate Simpsonville in 2021 on July 2.
Greer:
"The City of Greer opened its business lobbies to the public on Monday and also began reopening its park facilities such as restrooms and playgrounds with social distancing measures in place.
"Planning and hosting large-scale summer events with those measures in place still presents a major challenge.
'One of the things we’ve said all along is that our desire is to make sure we are compliant with state orders from our governor as well as following recommended guidelines from the CDC. We did not see that there was any measure that we could comply with to provide for appropriate distancing for those events that draw from hundreds of guests to several thousand,' Greer City Administrator Ed Driggers said. 'We don’t believe it is practical to try to assemble that large of a crowd in the spaces that we have available as a community.'
"With the full support of Greer City Council, the city has postponed its annual Freedom Blast festival, Moonlight Movies series, and Tunes in the Park. A public ribbon cutting and street festival planned for July 10 to celebrate the conclusion of the CenterG streetscape project will also be rescheduled at a proper time.
'We will hold in reserve the resources we have committed to both Freedom Blast and our CenterG dedication to hold those events at another time,' Driggers said. 'We are going to make sure that we, as a community, will be able to celebrate our veterans and the newness of our CenterG program. We’ll just have to do that later and possibly in a different fashion.'
"The city is also implementing alternative ways to deliver some of its summer programs.
"The nine-week Tall Tale Tuesday storytelling series will be delivered on video beginning June 16. Author Jeffrey Lefko will share his new book, Solomon Squirrel’s Adventure with the Missing Acorns, and Greer Cultural Arts Supervisor Robin Byouk will lead a crafts session for children.
"The City of Greer Parks and Recreation Department will also deliver virtual programs for children throughout the summer."
Spartanburg:
The City of Spartanburg has canceled the Red, White & Boom celebration due to coronavirus concerns, according to a city official.
Christopher George, the communications and marketing manager for the city, said, "The short reason is that large events like Red, White & Boom are impossible to conduct while maintaining appropriate social distancing."
George said they are being encouraged to limit gatherings of more than 10 people, and "it would be irresponsible to have events that, by their nature, encourage gathering."
The event was discussed during a Spartanburg City Council meeting Tuesday evening.
The assistant city manager said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines give certain recommendations for special events, depending on area classifications of COVID-19 cases.
Red, White, & Boom was scheduled for July Fourth at Barnet Park.
Greenville:
The Greenville city website says the plans for the Wells Fargo Red, White and Blue will be announced soon.
TD Market: The Saturday Farmers Market in downtown Greenville will return on June 6 but with some changes. It will be called the TD Essential Market. "The modified format allows for the market to continue to offer fresh and local essential grocery items while still maintaining health and safety guidelines," aFacebook post on the market's page said. Prior to visiting, shoppers should review the market modifications and guidelines listed below to help shop smart and safe each week. A full listing of all guidelines and recommendations will be posted here. Stay tuned for updates.