HAMLET — Hamlet City Council voted that they will go forward with their Fourth of July fireworks show after a 3-2 vote during their April meeting.
The decision comes after Hamlet originally agreed to forego their show after hearing of the Fourth of July festivities at the Speedway. Council member Eddie Martin voiced his concerns over not hearing concrete plans from the Speedway or assurance that they will pull through and it not fall back on the City.
Mayor Bill Bayless told council that he felt that they didn’t need to “do away with the show.”
“This is a tradition in Hamlet and I can’t see us giving it up,” said Bayless.
“I wanted to see some plans,” said Martin. “If they’re going to do it, why don’t they give us a plan? I want some assurance from them that they’re going to have it.”
Representatives for the The Rock Speedway and Entertainment Complex could not be reached for comment Monday or Tuesday. At the Rockingham City Council meeting Tuesday, Mayor Steve Morris alluded to a “new fireworks production” at the Speedway.
“It should be one of the largest in southeastern North Carolina and it’s going to be a very big production,” Morris said. He added that the event would be free to all, with free parking. None of these details have previously been made public by The Rock. The City of Rockingham does not hold fireworks events, according to events coordinator Kim Williams.
Ellerbe was in a similar situation to Hamlet’s when the Ellerbe Lions Club announced they would forego their show after hearing what the Speedway was going to offer for their Fourth of July celebration. Betty Lyerly, who manages the renting of the Lions Club, said Lions Club President Lynn McCaskill met with the owner of the Speedway to hear about their plans. McCaskill could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
“The more we talked about it, the more we thought people would go (to the Speedway),” said Lyerly.
But after a social media post about the decision not to hold a fireworks display received largely negative feedback, Lyerly said they decided to reconsider. The Lions Club held a public meeting last month where Lyerly said the room was filled with Ellerbe residents, merchants and those who’ve attended their jamboree in the past.
“It was a good meeting of the minds,” she said. “We built up our spirits and locals talked about what they’re willing to do and how they’re willing to help us.”
On March 29, the Ellerbe Lions Club Facebook page updated the fireworks jamboree status to say that they will go forward with their own fireworks. Lyerly said the group will hold several fundraisers to help raise money to go towards the event and upkeep of the Lions Club’s facilities.
Upcoming events where the Lions Club will have a presence include the Strawberry Festival in May and the Chick-N Pick-N Jamboree in Norman. Lyerly is also looking into donation buckets to put around town. In the past, Lyerly said they’ve spent $9,000 to $10,000 on their jamboree and are looking to raise about the same or more for this year’s event.
There will be what Lyerly described as “old-timey” games including an egg toss, tug of war and other kid-friendly games. There will also be a disc jockey, local entertainment and the fire department will spray the kids.
“We don’t know what to expect, but we’re thinking on the positive side,” said Lyerly. “It’s a family outing day and with the help of the community, we’re going to put this on.”
Council member Johnathan Buie said he hopes that the track is successful with their event.
“I’m all for the county joining together and trying to do something good,” Buie said to council, referring to the Speedway’s event as a universal draw for the area. “But it’s hard to be supportive when we’ve been given nothing but verbal stuff. If we had plans, and they gave us something concrete, maybe we could be more supportive.”
Gavin Stone contributed to this report.
The Ellerbe Lions Club and the City of Hamlet have both backtracked on their decisions not to hold July 4th celebrations after initially deferring to the The Rock Speedway and Entertainment Complex’s plans, which have not been made public.
