SANTA MONICA — Santa Monica College has officially cancelled its “Celebrate America” fireworks event due to COVID-19. The 2020 event was originally scheduled for Saturday, June 27. 

Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, SMC Superintendent and President, said in a statement:

“It is particularly disappointing that Celebrate America had to be cancelled this year, at a time when we at Santa Monica College would love to gather with our community. We look forward to future occasions, when we may celebrate with confidence, to host events safely. Please take care of yourself. Stay well. Stay strong! Stay connected.”

This would have been the 38th iteration of the event for the SMC community. “Celebrate America” is not the first event to be cancelled in the area. Organizers also confirmed the cancellation of the annual Fourth of July parade in Santa Monica last month.

However, Santa Monica College announced it plans to continue delivering services online. The campus is expected to remain closed for the remainder of the year. Upcoming events include a live Virtual Launch Event for the SMC Emeritus Student Art Exhibition 2020 Online at 5 p.m. June 25, and SMC’s 90th Commencement Ceremony at 5 p.m. June 26.

Regarding the future of in-person events, SMC Event Producer and Associate Dean of Facilities Programming Linda Sullivan stated the following:

“I can’t predict when events like Celebrate America will be allowed to resume, or when folks will begin to feel comfortable in crowds again. But when they do, they will be greeted with the greatest enthusiasm.”