Fireworks, concert Thursday

Events postponed by bad weather

Continued heavy rains and an uncertain but bleak forecast forced the postponement of Fourth of July festivities in Granville Thursday.

Village Mayor Jay Niles announced the postponements and new dates just before noon. “I’m looking at the forecast and it looks like rain basically all the way through the day,” Niles said by phone from the village offices.

An examination of the weather radar showed despite the occasional break in the rain most of the time for the first of the Summer Concert Series concerts would be dampened by showers with possible thunderstorms for later in the evening when fireworks had been scheduled.

Niles said the next scheduled concert, the July 9 New York Players show, would now be followed by fireworks with other events planned for what would now be the opening night of the series taking place in the park.

Through a series of phone calls Niles said he also found out the Methodist Church Strawberry Social will also move to July 9.

Likewise the Granville Engine & Hose Company chicken barbecue was postponed and will also take place just before the New York Players show.

The opening concert, which was slated to be Bobby Dick and the Sundowners, was postponed for the second-straight year and will move from July 2 to Aug. 21, a Friday night.

“We wanted to try to put him on a Friday night; we’ll get to have two concerts in that week, so that will be nice,” Niles said.

Although there was a chance all or most of the concert could take place, Niles said, he thought it best to reschedule and give everyone a chance to catch this fan favorite.

“It just wouldn’t be fair to everyone if just a few people came out to see a half-hour show,” he said.

The New York Players bring their energetic show back to Veterans Park July 9, featuring hits including Motown, R & B and everyone’s Top 40 favorites. The band with three lead singers, Wesley James, Tracy Corry and Patrick Stacey, keeps the park crowd jumping. The band has played the concert series for the past four years for some of the largest crowds to fill up the park.