Golden residents celebrated July Fourth without the fireworks this year, cutting short the 44th annual Lion’s Independence Day celebration in Lion’s Park.

The decision was made a week ahead of time by city staff.

“Seemed like the logical thing to do from a number of perspectives,” said Golden City Manager

Mike Bestor.

For starters, conditions in and around Golden remained dry enough to warrant a fire ban. With area firefighters helping with major fires burning along the Front Range, Bestor said the availability of even Golden’s own fire staff to monitor a fireworks show was stretched thin.

“And then, also out of respect for all the people that have lost their houses,” Bestor said.

The Golden Lion’s Club ran the fireworks show for many years, and still organizes the daytime entertainment in Lion’s Park, including live music, games and face painting, which still took place from noon

to 8 p.m.

“We’re in agreement with the decision. Why take the chance,” said Lions spokesman Ed Dorsey. “It’s a community day, a good time for all, and we still have the raffle.”

The city had announced weeks earlier that the show was in jeopardy of being canceled.

Golden Fire Marshal Jerry Stricker said was hope that conditions would improve in time for the Fourth.

“We wanted to give it a chance for weather patterns to change, but it didn’t change … for the better at least,” Stricker said.

According to Stricker, the city also cancelled its fireworks show in 2002, which was a similar drought year.

He said the fireworks show that is usually part of the Colorado School of Mines E-Days was also cancelled this year, due to conditions.

Golden will still have a fireworks show this year, Bestor promised. In 2002 for example, the city held the fireworks show during the city’s candlelight Christmas event.

Another possibility might be during one of Golden’s First Friday events, he said.

“It will happen. We’re just not sure when, yet,” he said.