07/04/2026
Hi all, this is Jeffrey Kaas, the Secretary and Systems Administrator of the CBC. I'd like to provide some more context into tonight's cancellation and address several of the comments I have seen.
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Q: The storms are clearing up at (time); why not push back tonight?
A: The issue is when crowds have nowhere to go if a thunderstorm does hit. I personally saw a large lightning strike very close to our shoot site earlier. Our new shoot site is also located in what I'd describe as black powdery silt. It will not handle water well. In short, it's the fact that the crowds would already be present and have virtually no shelter from a potentially strong thunderstorm with lightning that could strike the ground.
Q: Are you rescheduling?
A: Our rain date is July 3rd, 2027. This is a large event that took many months to plan. Our only rain date is next year, which was known from the start. In our 50-year history of shooting fireworks, this is how it's always been.
Q: The storms went south of us.
A: We agree it's disappointing. I personally wanted us to go ahead with the show, but around 4:30 PM, the forecast kept getting worse. When the public safety of thousands of people is at stake, we can't risk it. We had to go off what we had BEFORE the crowds arrived. It would have been far worse had we had to cancel later and then deal with the mess of cars trying to get out in the middle of a thunderstorm. Take a look at the attached image below for the radar in Iowa City. That could have just as easily been us.
Q: Can't you put a donation link or a Venmo somewhere?
A: We do. I apologize that we did not spread the word well enough. We're a tiny club with limited resources, and we are not experts. The community can donate on our website at cedarboatclub.org/support-us or via Venmo to (the account is under my name, Jeffrey Kaas).
Q: The City is horrible; I can't believe they canceled it (I've seen this comment).
A: This was not the City's call. This was our call. We made this call, and it wasn't easy. We even extended the decision window, risking us getting billed for many of the resources that would have shown up later in the day, just to ensure it was the correct decision. We consulted with several parties before making the official decision.
Q: This is 3 years in a row! (It's actually 2 years in a row we had to cancel)
A: Last year, we just didn't have the resources to support the show. This year, it was due to public safety.
Q: So what's the plan for next year?
A: We know right now we are reserving the funding we can for next year. Whether the show will look exactly the same as planned this year, we don't know yet. It is far too early to tell.
Q: What is your perfectly envisioned future?
A: Fireworks are best watched relatively close. What if, in the future, we take the time and resources to build a barge, one that is extremely safe and could be much closer to our audience, or wherever we want safely? And this barge could even be used more often. 80% of our money comes from 6 people or fewer — we'd need more supporters.
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I hope I answered what's important. I will continue to monitor the page and answer any relevant questions. If you are in the harbor or the area, you will probably see me around.
If you would like to support us and our fireworks show, along with all other events we'd like to put on for the community, please visit https://cedarboatclub.org/support-us, where we can take both individual donations and corporate sponsorships.
