WARM WEATHER EXPECTED ALL WEEK
CITY OF FLORENCE CONFIRMS JULY 4th PARADE CANCELLED, FOR NOW
BY CHARLOTTE BURROUS
The Fourth of July Wet/Dry Parade in Florence has been a staple for several years. However, things will be different this year, the 250th birthday for the United States of America, there will be no parade at all.
“The Florence City staff and Florence City Council had a work session to discuss the Fourth of July Festival,” said Florence City Clerk, Cortlynne Huppe.
“Because of the weather conditions as projected by our city’s restrictions, the council adopted a response plan. So in doing that, we’re not going to have the Wet/Dry parade. Also, (we’ll) postpone the Fourth of July fireworks to the New Year’s Eve celebrations. There is not going to be a festival per se.”
However, there will be a free swim session at noon in the swimming pool and a free swim night at 5 p.m. Friday, July 3. At dark, a free movie will be shown for the audience.
On July 4, the fun continues with entertainment at 11 a.m. in Pioneer Park. A free swim session will begin at noon at the The Florence Municipal Swimming Pool.
In conjunction, the Rhythm Prophets will perform a variety of music for the enjoyment of the audience. In addition, the Ducky Derby will take place in the creek near Pioneer Park. The fun continues at 5 p.m. with a free swim night, followed by a free movie night, weather permitting.
Public outcry was immediate and a collective of citizen's are meeting to try to quickly organize "America's Parade" , a 250th celebration parade, with no water elements due to the drought. The group is trying to present their parade proposal to the cty at the workshop on Monday, May 11th at 5:30pm at City Hall. The public is welcome to come to the workshop to voice their position on the cancellation of the Wet + Dry parade and the potential "America's Parade" for July 4th.
At the city of Florence Water / Drought meeting on Thursday, May 7th, City manager, Lori Cobler said the city was not adverse to the idea of a replacement parade that did not have water elements given the drough conditions.
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THE 24 FIRE IS COMPLETELY CONTAINED
BY JASON HILTERBRAN
The 24 Fire in southern Colorado ignited on March 18, 2026, near Highway 115 and quickly spread across rugged terrain between El Paso County and Fremont County, including areas of Fort Carson. Driven by high winds, low humidity, and unseasonably warm temperatures, the fire expanded rapidly in its early stages, prompting evacuations and pre-evacuation notices for residents near Penrose and surrounding areas. Fire crews from multiple agencies responded with both ground and aerial resources, working to establish containment lines as fire behavior remained erratic, at times jumping lines and pushing into new areas. Highway 115 experienced closures due to safety concerns, and local emergency management coordinated shelters and support services for displaced residents and livestock. As of the latest updates, containment efforts have made progress to 100% containment.
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UPCOMING EVENTS FOR FREMONT COUNTY, COLORADO
April 17th at Golden Age Center
APRIL 17th STEAK DINNER in FLORENCE
April 25th at ROYAL GORGE BRIDGE
APRIL & MAY GOLF CAMPS
MAY 9th PUBLIC AUCTION AT PENROSE EQUIPMENT
MAY 17th BATTLE OF THE BEATS AT RIALTO
JUNE 29th KICKS OFF FAMILY SPACE CAMP AT OBSERVER RANCH
JUNE 29th KICKS OFF FAMILY SPACE CAMP AT OBSERVER RANCH
JUNE 29th KICKS OFF FAMILY SPACE CAMP AT OBSERVER RANCH
