Social Distancing Celebrations

The official list of top 4th of July events and fireworks around Dallas-Fort Worth

The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on Fourth of July celebrations in Dallas-Fort Worth, but a few fireworks displays will still take place.

Photo by Iam Kluft

As it has with all events, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on this year's Fourth of July celebrations around Dallas-Fort Worth. The vast majority of events have either fully canceled or called off the portions that would involve people gathering together in one place.

Fortunately for fireworks lovers, there will still be a few explosive shows to enjoy from a safe distance. Check out the list below for full details on what each event plans to do in this uncommon year.

Addison: The fireworks of Kaboom Town will take place as usual on July 3, but the watch party at Addison Circle Park has been canceled. Viewers are encouraged to watch the show from home or other locations. Kaboom Town will also stream the show live on social media. (UPDATE: Due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Dallas County, officials have decided to move the fireworks out of the city to an undisclosed location. They will livestream the show on Addison’s You Tube Channel on July 3 at 9:30 pm and on CW33 on July 4.)

Allen: While Market Street Allen USA at Celebration Park in Allen on June 29 was canceled, the city will present Spirit in the Sky, a 25-minute show launched from the corner of W. Exchange Parkway and N. Watters Road. The show, taking place on July 3 at 9:30 pm, will use larger shells that will deploy higher in the sky, ensuring the fireworks can be seen from at least one mile away. Residents are encouraged to watch the show from their own homes or vehicles; parking near the site, on main roads, or in residential neighborhoods will not be allowed. Music will be simulcast by 97.5 KLAK.

Arlington: While Light Up Arlington was canceled, the city will launch fireworks from Globe Life Field on July 3 at 9:30 pm. Texas Rangers Lots B, C, F, M and N, Dallas Cowboys Lot 4, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor parking lots, and Arlington Convention Center parking lot will be open for viewing. Social distancing and masks are encouraged. Viewers can tune in to 95.9 FM The Ranch for a music simulcast.

Colleyville: The city will hold its annual Stars and Guitars as usual on June 26, but with a different look due to the social distancing guidelines. The event will now be held at at Colleyville City Park and attendees are encouraged to tailgate or bring blankets and/or lawn chairs to enjoy music by DJ KB and fireworks.There will also be food trucks on site. An FM station will be designated to listen to the music in cars if you prefer, and with the city saying it will not enforce Tarrant County's recent requirement of face masks, staying in your car might be the best choice if you choose to attend.

The Colony: The city's annual Liberty By The Lake festival has been canceled, but they will still put on a fireworks show on July 4 at 9:30 pm. Residents will be allowed to park in the vicinity of The Colony Five Star Complex to watch the fireworks from the safety and comfort of their cars. The fireworks music will be available through 99.9 FM. There will be no other on-site activities or amenities available, such as live music, food trucks, or restrooms.

Fort Worth: The festival portion of Fort Worth's Fourth at Panther's Island Pavilion has been canceled, but the fireworks will still be launched on July 4. The community is asked to watch the fireworks from the comfort of their home, backyard, or balcony. There will not be vehicular access to areas near the venue. The show will be larger and taller this year so it can be seen from a distance. Residents can tune into 95.9 FM The Ranch to listen to the music choreographed to the fireworks show.

Frisco: The annual Frisco Freedom Fest has been canceled, but the city will still launch fireworks from Toyota Stadium at 9:30 pm on July 4. Four FC Dallas parking lots - the Tundra Platinum, Camry Gold Lot, Corolla Red Lots, and Highlander Green Lots - will be available to the public for viewing. All patrons are encouraged to stay in their vehicles; anyone who goes outside their vehicles is encouraged to social distance at least six feet from people not in their party.

Dallas: Klyde Warren Park's annual Independence Day celebration on June 27, has been canceled in the interest of public safety. A fireworks display will be visible that evening, as a limited number of frontline healthcare workers and their families are invited to the recording of a KTVT-CBS 11 television special in their honor. In partnership with the City of Dallas, a Fireworks Salute to Healthcare Heroes will be recorded that evening and broadcast to the community at 9:30 pm on Saturday, July 4.

Granbury: The 46th annual Hood County Hometown July 4th Celebration will go on as scheduled on July 3 and 4, but both the Vendors on the Square and Hometown Parade portions will be at 50 percent capacity.

Grapevine: The 38th Annual 4th of July celebration over Lake Grapevine will take place as usual, with viewing spots available around the lake.

Plano: Plano's All-American Fourth fireworks display will still take place, but with no accompanying festival for spectators. The fireworks will be launched from Lavon Farms near Plano Event Center, a higher location than the normal launch point of Oak Point Park, and the fireworks will be set to go off at a higher altitude, allowing Plano residents to see the fireworks from farther way. Viewers are encouraged to view the fireworks from their own homes, vehicles, or neighborhoods. A simulcast of patriotic music will be available on 97.5 KLAK.

Sunnyvale: The festival portion of the city's annual Sunnyfest has been canceled, but the fireworks will still be launched on July 3 from Town Center Park. Residents are asked to watch the show from their homes or other locations.

Fully canceled events include the following:

Red White & Boom in Dallas (July 3)
Lone Stars & Stripes Celebration at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie (July 3 and 4)
Fair Park Fourth at Fair Park in Dallas (July 4)
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Concerts in the Garden: Old-Fashioned Family Fireworks Picnic (July 2-4)
Denton Noon Kiwanis Club's 4th of July Fireworks Show at Apogee Stadium (July 4)
City of Irving's Independence Day Celebration (July 4) - the city will try to launch fireworks at a to-be-determined future date
Firewheel Town Center's Star Spangled Spectacular in Garland (July 4)
Castle Hills Village Shops & Plaza's July 4th Freedom Festival in Lewisville (July 4)

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Movie Review

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is better than the first but not by much

Blumhouse

Five Nights at Freddy's 2

Blumhouse Productions first made their name with the Paranormal Activity series, establishing themselves as a leader in the horror genre thanks to their relatively cheap yet effective movies. In recent years, they’ve added on “soft” horror films likeM3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s to draw in a younger audience, with both films becoming so successful that each was quickly given a sequel.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 finds Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and his sister Abby (Piper Rubio) still recovering from the events of the first film, with Abby particularly missing her “friends.” Those friends just so happen to be the souls of murdered children who inhabit animatronic characters at the long-defunct Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, children who were abducted and killed by William Afton (Matthew Lillard).

A new threat emerges at another Freddy Fazbear’s location in the form of Charlotte, another murdered child who inhabits a creepy large marionette. Mike, distracted by a possible romance with Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), fails to keep track of Abby, who makes her way to the old pizzeria and inadvertently unleashes Charlotte and her minions on the surrounding town.

Directed by Emma Tammi and written by Scott Cawthon (who also created the video game on which the series is based), the film tries to mix together goofy elements with intense scenes. One particular sequence, in which the security guard for Freddy Fazbear’s lets a group of ghost hunters onto the property, toes the line between soft and hard horror. That and a few others show the potential that the filmmakers had if they had stuck to their guns.

Unfortunately, more often than not they either soft-pedal things that would normally be horrific, or can’t figure out how to properly stage scenes. The sight of animatronic robots wreaking havoc is one that is simultaneously frightening and laughable, and the filmmakers never seem to find the right balance in tone. Every step in the direction of making a truly scary horror film is undercut by another in which the robots fail to live up to their promise.

It doesn’t help that Cawthon gives the cast some extremely wooden dialogue, lines that none of the actors can elevate. What may work in a video game format comes off as stilted when said by actors in a live-action film. The story also loses momentum quickly after the first half hour or so, with Cawthon seemingly content to just have characters move from place to place with no sense of connection between any of the scenes.

Hutcherson (The Hunger Games series), after being the true lead of the first film, is given very little to do in this film, and his effort is equal to his character’s arc. The same goes for Lail, whose character seems to be shoehorned into the story. Rubio is called upon to carry the load for a lot of the movie, and the teenager is not quite up to the task. A brief appearance by Skeet Ulrich seems to be a blatant appeal to Scream fans, but he and Lillard only underscore how limited this film is compared to that franchise.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is better than the first film, but not by much. The filmmakers do a decent job of making the new marionette character into a great villain, but they fail to capitalize on its inherent creepiness. Instead, they fall back on less effective elements, ensuring that the film will be forgettable for anyone other than hardcore Freddy fans.

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Five Nights at Freddy's 2 opens in theaters on December 5.

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