For 74 years, the Jaycees, an organization comprised of all volunteers has hosted the premierfamily-friendly 4th of July Celebration that encompasses an arts and crafts festival, community fireworks, andthe largest 4th of July parade in the state of Indiana. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jaycees regret to announce that the Arts and Crafts Fair and Fireworks Celebration will be cancelled and the iconic 4th of July Parade will be moved to a later date.


This decision was not made lightly, and the 4th of July Celebration encompasses a committee of volunteers that have been working hard planning since November of last year. The Jaycees have remained in contact with government officials and have followed Governor Eric Holcomb’s frequent updates very closely. The Jaycees have decided that the responsible decision would be made to cancel the Arts & Crafts Fair on June 27th, the Fireworks on July 3rd, and the 4th of July Parade will be rescheduled in conjunction with the Sunflower Fair in
September. More details regarding the parade will be released within the next couple of weeks.


“The Jaycees consider the utmost importance of safety when planning our community events. While we
regret that our events are changing due to COVID-19, we are excited to be in the works of rescheduling the
parade to a later date in September. The Jaycees hope that our amazing community will come out and truly
show that we are LA PORTE PROUD together,” said Ross Ratliff, Jaycees 4th of July Chairperson. “A lot of
planning goes into an event of this magnitude, essentially as soon as the prior year event is over. No one
anticipated this, and our focus is on the community, but we want to do it responsibly. We are also excited to
celebrate our 75th Annual 4th of July Celebration in 2021 with the community like we have in the past. There
truly is nothing like July 4th in La Porte with the Jaycees!”
The fireworks and parade events bring over 50,000 people together along the parade route and within the
fairgrounds respectively. In light of the uncertainty of mass gatherings due to COVID-19, the tough decision
was made to make changes to our future summer events. The 4th of July Celebration is the largest community
fundraiser put on by the La Porte Jaycees. Monies raised go directly back into the community to help support
the holiday shopping events for children in need, community grants to local organizations, and to support the
community with events such as the Easter Egg Hunt each year. The La Porte Jaycees has been and always will
be an organization dedicated to the community of La Porte, and they cannot wait to continue the tradition
when it is safe to do so.
In addition to the Parade being rescheduled, the Jaycees Port-A-Pit Chicken sale on Saturday June 27th is still
scheduled beginning at 10am at the La Porte Farmer’s Market. Details on all Jaycee event updates, along with
how to purchase Port-A-Pit tickets will be posted on the Jaycees website and social media pages in the next
week.
Please follow the Jaycees on social media or visit www.laportejaycees.org for more information. If payments
or applications have been submitted for any of upcoming Jaycee events, the Jaycees will be reaching out soon
regarding options.
Contact: Ross Ratliff