UPDATED JUNE 30th - The Cayucos Chamber will offer a small-scale July 4th 2021 fireworks show from the Cayucos Pier.

Updated JUNE 30th: It's the news we've all been waiting for...the Cayucos fireworks show is officially a go! Permits are in-hand. Final details being sorted. Just a few short days away.

Remember, personal fireworks are illegal in many areas of San Luis Obispo county (including Cayucos) and we are in a high fire season. Keep them away.

Here's what you'll want to know about the day's activities:
- Early risers can join in the Sand Sculpture contest. Arrive 4am-5am and wrap up by 10am. Prizes for adults and kids.
- 10am-6pm Front Street Faire shopping and food vendors
- Lions Club BBQ (check back soon for confirmed time)
- 9pm (as dusk allows) Fireworks at the pier! No tickets necessary. (No VIP experience this year...likely to return next year.) Smaller-scale show, but sure to please.
- IMPORTANT: If you're visiting Cayucos on the 4th, do your part to keep illegal fireworks away, park only in legal spots, pack out your trash, respect everyone's safe space, practice the latest COVID safety recommendations, and celebrate responsibly.

JUMP TO THE MAIN JULY 4th EVENT PAGE.

Updated JUNE 27th:

We remain in largely the same position as we did a couple of weeks ago. Our event committee is working non-stop to make the fireworks happen but we still cannot confirm that the event is officially a go. It may be as late as Thursday July 1st that we know more. We know this is hard for planning purposes and we appreciate everyone’s patience, as we’re doing all that we can with the information that we’ve been provided. As we’ve mentioned before, there are a ton of hoops to go through…and we normally have months of lead time. All signs point to a show, but we cannot say for certain. If we can move forward, the show will start around 9pm as in prior years.

Since the last update, there are also groups working on bringing back sand sculpture demos (not the full competition with trophies, etc)., the Cayucos Lions Club is trying to coordinate a BBQ, and we are likely to see vendors along Front Street. Local residents and groups might coordinate an impromptu parade like last year, but the official Lions Club Parade is not happening.

We’ll be updating things as we go this week.

Thank you to our July 4th committee and our entire community who has stepped forward to help fund the event.

Updated JUNE 7th: We’re happy to report that due to some dedicated work by our July 4th committee, there will likely* be a small fireworks show this summer in Cayucos! Details are still being finalized, so stay tuned to this page. Here’s what you’ll need to know:

• Just last week, we were able to get the green light from the County to proceed with permit applications for a show. Combined with a generous donation from anonymous donors, we are now able to move forward. The applications are in. We’ll know more after California’s scheduled reopening June 15th. *However, there are still some hurdles to get through. Is there a possibility we can’t do it? Yes. But every effort from the Chamber is being made to make it happen.

• The show will take place on the pier as past years and will run about half the normal length. Exact timing TBD.

• Attendees should practice COVID safety protocols that will be in place at the time of the show.

• The full July 4th town experience, including the parade and other activities, will return in 2022. This will be a small-scale show.

• We’re not sure about the VIP experience yet and will reach out to those on the waitlist first. If general ticket sales are possible, we will announce them with instructions how to reserve a seat.

• Help us ensure an enjoyable experience by respecting our town’s resources and fellow attendees and packing out any trash.

• We need volunteers from the community to step forward for setup and cleanup. Email us ASAP to participate.

JUMP TO THE MAIN JULY 4th EVENT PAGE.

If you have remaining questions, reach out to Lori Stone, Cayucos Chamber Community Manager at cayucoschamber@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (805) 995-1200.

---

ORIGINAL POST 5/30:

With California planning to reopen June 15th (learn more here), we’re receiving a lot of new questions about why our town events on July 4th remain cancelled and why it’s not possible to simply step back into a full event in the three weeks after that reopening date. Below are some background details to clarify why we can’t hold the fireworks again this year.

First up, we know this is rough news to hear. We agree it would be great for town morale after a tough year+ and a fun way to celebrate.

However, there are several barriers that prevent us from moving forward.

Discussions about when we can fully reopen have have been ongoing for months, with our teams and with other Cayucos event stakeholders. July 4th festivities are a group effort; the Chamber manages the fireworks, parade balloon arches, and Front Street Faire, and supports town infrastructure needs, like street barriers, waste management, extra portable toilets, etc. Learn more here about which groups plan which parts of the big day. Each group has made independent decisions to cancel based on COVID impacts and restrictions, but we’re all largely facing the same issues.

PERMITS - Any large public event we create requires federal, state, and local permitting, to ensure public safety and resource compliance. We begin the process for fireworks permitting early in the year and meet with the many local groups and agencies over the course of several months to bring it all together. While the state will be reopening in mid-June, this doesn’t include all large-scale events and we have been told numerous times that we won’t be issued permits by all of these agencies at play. We doubt this will change, but even if it did we then face another large hurdle…the cost.

COST - Holding a single 20-minute fireworks show costs the Chamber about $30,000. These monies are collected annually through community fundraisers and ticket sales to other events throughout the year. With COVID cancelling all Chamber events since March 2020, the funding sources for this year’s fireworks simply weren’t there. Generous donors have expressed interest in rallying to raise additional last-minute funds by July, for a whole or reduced cost show, but we continue to be held by permitting restrictions. When the state reopens and if something shifted to allow permits, this would leave just three weeks to pull it off. Our Chamber board is actively reviewing all possibilities, but there are no guarantees that anything can move forward and/or that we could get the fireworks procured in time (the suppliers also need notice that we’re unable to commit to)…it’s a lot of stars that would need to align.

PEOPLE - Finally, it takes our whole large village of volunteers to make these big community events work. It will be extremely difficult to rally the large team of many volunteers needed for an event that is already unlikely, plus the fact that we’re still officially in pandemic recovery. Nothing is impossible, but with so many moving pieces, trying to pull off this event in three weeks—that normally takes six months—is a tall order. We’re keeping dialog open while also remaining realistic.

There may be some smaller-scale activities we CAN pull together for the day to help celebrate across town. If so, stay tuned to our news sites for updates. We know this is frustrating and we join those who are disappointed. We thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we navigate this challenging situation.

We remain committed to supporting our members, residents, and visitors alike and look forward to our traditional event schedules returning ASAP.

If you have remaining questions, reach out to Lori Stone, Cayucos Chamber Community Manager at cayucoschamber@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (805) 995-1200.