Carnation Festival committee cancels 2026 fireworks amid drought, fire-danger concerns
A committee representative told Wheat Ridge City Council the fireworks decision was made days before the festival; other programming was expected to continue, with no replacement show approved.
The Carnation Festival Committee canceled its 2026 fireworks display before the Aug. 3 Wheat Ridge City Council study session, amid concerns about drought and fire danger discussed at the meeting. The committee, not the City Council, made the decision.
A committee representative identified as Joe said the festival was about five days away and organizers did not want to wait until the day before the event and risk a last-minute cancellation. Council members discussed drought, high fire danger and dry conditions, but the record does not establish a formal fire-marshal order, drought classification or permit decision requiring the cancellation.
The rest of the festival was expected to continue Aug. 7-9 at Anderson Park, with music, a carnival, vendors and a parade. Joe said bands would play longer after the fireworks were canceled. As of Aug. 4, the city’s event listing and festival fireworks page still listed the festival and fireworks; those pages show scheduled programming, not completed events.
A drone show was discussed as a possible future alternative. Joe estimated it could cost about $50,000 per night—roughly three to five times the fireworks cost—but no replacement show was approved for 2026.
The committee also said it had not decided what to do with about $25,000 allocated for fireworks. A refund, carrying the money into a later year or leaving it with the vendor for a future display were among the options discussed; the final disposition was not established in the records reviewed.