By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A four-day bash is being planned by the city to celebrate this year’s Fourth of July.
Community Services Director Esme Meza, who is in charge of planning the event, reviewed the festivities being planned for this year’s Fourth of July celebration with members of the city council during the council’s Feb. 28 meeting.
Meza told the council the city resumed its “full-blown” Fourth of July festivities in 2022 after several years of scaled-down celebrations because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The feedback from the community was very positive. They really enjoyed having multiple days, multiple events, really focusing on quality of life, so staff met, and we’ve been reaching out to different sponsors, trying to duplicate that from last year,” Meza told the council.
“So, what you see here, is, the radio station, KDLK, approached the city as far as partnering up again, and our budget for the Fourth of July is $70,000, and KDLK is willing to sponsor between $13,000 and $15,000. For July 1, they would like to host a country band at Romanelli Park. That would be a paid event, a ticketed event, but they would like to sponsor, on July 2, an event focusing on cumbias, having multiple artists, Madison Hailey, Family Jewelz, several other artists and a big headliner. That’s what they’re proposing for July 2,” she added.
Meza also went over events being hosted by the city.
“Sponsored by the city of Del Rio and other sponsors, on July 1, on Saturday, (we plan to have) the annual Fourth of July tournament at 8 a.m., and staff wanted to propose to move the Color Run from the actual Fourth to the weekend, because when we have it on the actual Fourth, (everyone was) running to finish up the Color Run and go over to the parade, so we just think we can enjoy and celebrate everybody that completed the 5K, so we’re not having people rush off and try to go to another event,” she said.
“So, on Sunday, July 2, hosted by the city, Radney Foster and another artist, and then on Monday, July 3, during the day, (our) thought was, to have a DJ there during the day while people are enjoying the creek, barbecuing, picnicking, and have a headliner band at night.
The city’s annual Fourth of July parade will begin at 10 a.m. on July 4, with entertainment at the amphitheater beginning at 6 p.m., a flyover from Laughlin Air Force Base and the traditional fireworks shows at 10 p.m.
Meza said she has $70,000 in the budget for the event, with KDLK looking to sponsor $13,000 to $15,000. She noted the city is also applying for a $7,500 H-E-B grant to fund the fireworks display.
“We’ve been talking with some other sponsors as well. Once we have everything finalized, and who is willing to sponsor what, staff can come back and tell you what our final budget will be,” Meza said.
“Sounds great,” Mayor Al Arreola said when Meza finished with her presentation.
Arreola asked if any council members had questions.
Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon asked, “You just mentioned the cost. In the past there’s been the post-event report. We did not get that one from this last Fourth of July. Can you bring that in so we can see all the costs and exactly how much it cost? Because we don’t know. You’re saying $70,000, but we don’t know.”
Meza said she could bring the comparisons of the event’s 2022 expenses and the proposed 2023 expenses to a future council meeting.
Calderon said she asked because council has received a cost breakdown of the event every year except for last year.
Calderon said she also had some other questions.
“Why does it have to be four days? Is it because the (July) 1st and the 2nd, it sounds like it’s going to be a business event. The last day is at the amphitheater. Why not utilize the amphitheater more? Is there a reason why all that changed all of a sudden to the Romanelli Park?” Calderon asked.
“Last year, there was some issues with the electrical (system) at the amphitheater and that’s being addressed, and so we have one day already scheduled at the amphitheater, but it’s also very hot, sitting at the amphitheater, where the Romanelli Park has a lot more shade, and you can easily get from the water (of the creek) to listen to music from the water. A lot of people have come to us while we’re at the event or told parks staff is they like it there (at Romanelli Park), so it’s based on the feedback, but if you guys would like us to move everything to the amphitheater, that’s not a problem. We can definitely do that,” Meza said.
Calderon said she recalled years ago, when crowds packed the amphitheater for the city’s all-day Fourth of July events there and said she felt it was “sad, very sad,” when she saw that people were no longer using it.
“We have that. We’ve got to utilize what we have, and if lighting is an issue, how many years has it been like that? By now, it should have been fixed, because a non-profit organization used it not too long ago, in October, and it looked very nice, so I would like to see more things utilize the amphitheater,” Calderon said.
Meza said the staff could certainly look at presenting some entertainers at the amphitheater in the evenings, although she reiterated that few people attended Fourth of July events at the venue in the afternoons because of the heat.
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