Several cities not disclosing fireworks launch sites, parade routes on July Fourth

CEDARBURG, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Fourth of July parades and fireworks shows are still happening in a handful of cities in southeastern Wisconsin. Some are choosing not to disclose the locations in effort to keep people from congregating.

The Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors made the decision to cancel the parade and picnic scheduled for Cedar Creek Park. The events typically draws between 10,000 and 15,000 people.

The fireworks are still planned for Saturday at dusk, but they won't be launched from Adlai Horn Park as usual. Instead, the chamber is not revealing the location of the launch site.

"The option was to have them and do it this way or not have them at all," said Maggie Dobson, executive director of the Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce. "And we really wanted to commemorate our nation's birthday."

Patricio Perez, a veteran from Cedarburg, said he planned to watch the fireworks show but was disappointed that the parade was canceled.

"It brings lots of people, and it brings out a lot of America in us," said Perez said.

The Village of Greendale announced that it will not be disclosing the launch site of its fireworks show until approximately one hour before the fireworks are set to start Saturday. The fireworks show begins at dusk, and around 8:30 p.m., residents will be notified of the launch site location via Greendale's Reverse 911 system, the city's website and the city's Facebook page.

Organizers in both municipalities said the idea is to give people the ability to watch the fireworks from their homes.

"We don't know where the location's going to be, but they said it's going to be visible all through Cedarburg," said Jerry Pittz, a Cedarburg resident.

In Racine, the annual Fourth of July fireworks show has been canceled, but there will be a parade Saturday at 10 a.m.

An estimated 80,000 spectators typically watch the parade during the 4th Fest of Greater Racine. But this year, under guidance from the city and health officials, organizers decided to make it a smaller parade that will travel through the city.

'We hope that some neighborhoods that this parade will never ever go through probably again will be excited to have it come down their street," said Anna Clementi, secretary for the 4th Fest of Greater Racine.

Organizers provided a starting point and an ending point, but where the parade is heading in between isn’t being shared.

"The point is so that people aren't just all gathering. So, we are not publishing the entire route. But it's starting on the north side of Racine kind of traditionally where the parade always does start, scooting across, going to the south side, and then we're able to go up to the west and we're ending at Festival Foods," Clementi said.

CBS 58 also put together a full list of fireworks shows across the area.