{HARRISBURG} — Following lengthy discussions with Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Carter, Mayor Wanda R.D. Williams has made the decision to cancel the fireworks and drone show planned for Sunday, September 1.
The 104th Kipona Festival will go on as scheduled, starting Saturday, August 31 and running through Labor Day Monday, September 2. The three-day event has an impeccable record of safety, featuring a Family Fun Zone, Multicultural Celebration, Native American Pow-Wow, live music, Art in the Park, food trucks, beer/wine garden, a Giant Puppet Parade, Keystone Dock Dogs competition, and more.
The decision to forego fireworks during Kipona weekend comes after incidents which took place during the July 4th fireworks display. Harrisburg Police observed multiple potential threats involving adults and juveniles with guns. No shots were fired. Three individuals were arrested, and three firearms were recovered.
Despite there being no major injuries, Mayor Williams says the safety plan surrounding holiday fireworks events must be reevaluated. She has released the following statement concerning the upcoming cancelation:
The Drone and Fireworks show will not take place at Kipona this year.
The City of Harrisburg prides itself on providing family-friendly events multiple times a year. These events provide affordable fun while providing a boost to the local economy. However, after serious incidents during the fireworks displays at two of the last three July 4th shows, we realize we need to make this portion of the event safer.
We hope this is not a permanent decision, but a temporary break. I have tasked Commissioner Carter to develop a new safety plan for our holiday fireworks shows. We also need to reconsider if fireworks itself are part of that plan. This is a chance to reimagine event programming. We will not let a few bad apples ruin these opportunities for Harrisburg to come together.
In the meantime, the rest of the 104th Kipona Festival will go on as planned Labor Day Weekend, with the return of the Native-American Pow-Wow, Multicultural Celebration, Family Fun Zone, Art In The Park, live music, food trucks, and more. I can’t wait to see you there!
