Some July 4 events curtailed

This weekend's Independence Day celebrations in Quay County will be a bit sparse because of coronavirus restrictions.

Tucumcari's fireworks show Saturday night will go on as usual, but many of the usual events in Logan on Saturday and San Jon on Sunday are curtailed because of the virus.

Tim Farrow, exalted ruler of the Tucumcari Elks, said the fireworks show will go on as usual at nightfall Saturday.

However, he said city officials will urge residents to watch the display from their homes or vehicles and, in an effort to foster social distancing, are discouraging them from parking in the Elks Club lot.

According to meteorological records, darkness will fall about 9 p.m. that day, though it could arrive earlier if it's cloudy. The lodge and the city typically split the cost of the display.

Logan saw its annual street dance, parade and watermelon crawl Saturday canceled because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The fireworks show scheduled for Saturday night from Windy Point at Ute Lake also was canceled, as the state park remains closed at night due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, Beck's Boats of Logan and Hilltop Bottle Shop of Clovis have teamed to shoot off fireworks from private property near the lake's north side that night.

Layne Strebeck, co-owner of Beck's Boats, said at least $22,000 has been raised for the fireworks show.

"We thought it was needed to buoy people's hopes" during the pandemic, he said.

He said if the Logan fireworks are rained out, he said they may reschedule it for Labor Day weekend.

Leslie Osborn, treasurer of the Logan-Ute Lake Chamber of Commerce, said Friday the village early last week had still planned to hold a parade Saturday morning, but Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's health briefing Thursday - where she said she likely would not relax COVID-19 restrictions in early July because of a recent increase in infections - prompted its cancellation.

In San Jon, the village park will host its annual fireworks show at nightfall Sunday night. The First Baptist Church of San Jon organizes the annual event.

However, the village's annual hotdog cookout with homemade ice cream is canceled because of the COVID-19 restrictions.