I.F. Independence Day Liberty Festival cancelled
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The following is a news release and photo from the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce.
IDAHO FALLS — The board of directors of the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce has decided to cancel the annual Liberty Festival on the Falls for 2017.
Traditionally, the Liberty Festival has been held on the Greenbelt on July 4 after the Independence Day Parade. The family-friendly event helped crowds waiting for the fireworks to pass the time by visiting food and craft vendors as well as enjoying live music entertainment.
With uncertainty still surrounding the location of the fireworks, the Chamber considered several factors and options before making this decision. A survey of recent Liberty Festival vendors indicated they prefer to vend at the location of the fireworks.
To date there are no plans for a fireworks show, and without fireworks, it was difficult to determine if Liberty Festival would generate the quantity of customers needed to meet the needs of vendors. The festival requires a significant amount of advanced planning and coordination to provide a quality event in a safe environment. Considering these factors and more, the Chamber decided to cancel Liberty Festival on the Falls.
“This was not an easy decision to make,” says Chip Schwarze, CEO of the Chamber. “Not only have we considered the time required to organize such an event, but our vendors who support this event have been forced to accept opportunities at other events so they can fill their summer calendars. These small businesses have a narrow window in the summer to generate revenues for the year and we can no longer ask them to wait as they are losing opportunities.”
The Chamber board of directors and staff extend their gratitude to all community members, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, city employees, law enforcement officers and service providers for their support of the community event over the past several years. The Chamber hopes to continue the tradition of holding a summer festival in the future.