The Rotary Club's annual Freedom Festival, a Fourth of July event that's grown in size and scope each year since it's inception in 2012, has been canceled for 2016.

  • Freedom Festival held every 4th of July since 2012
  • In 2015, the festival drew around 55,000
  • Venue could not provide enough safe parking

It was a festival that was too popular.

“We kind of, how should we say, became cursed to our own success,” said Pablo Rivera, President-elect of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel.

Since the beginning, The Shops at Wiregrass has hosted the Freedom Festival — filled with contests, vendors and a fireworks show.

Last year, the festival attracted around 55,000 people. It raised around $25,000 for local veterans’ charities.

It was a success, but that success also raised concerns. Specifically, Wiregrass did not have enough parking, and people were parking off-site and crossing major roads to get to the event.

“It’s dark out there,” said General Manager Greg Lenners. “Safety is literally our number one priority and it just became a serious concern for us.”

Lenners said he approached the Rotary Club last fall and said Wiregrass could not safely accommodate such an event. It was a painful decision, he said, as he was part of the Rotary Club when they started the Freedom Festival years ago.

“I was part of the founding members,” he said. “I take pride in that. So when we came to the day to make that decision, it was painful.”

The Rotary Club agreed, though, Rivera said. It wasn’t safe to continue the festival at a place that could not accommodate enough safe parking.

The club spent the better part of the last year looking elsewhere. They almost found success with The Grove, a nearby outdoor shopping complex.

“We approached The Grove and The Grove had some space which was available; however, they’re leasing that space too, so it kind of ran into a conflict,” he said.

Last week, the club made the decision to cancel the event, and instead retune its focus towards next year.

“When it came down to it, it wasn’t going to feasibly happen,” he said.

Since the Freedom Festival was a big fundraiser for veterans’ charities, Rivera said the Rotary Club will up its efforts for the rest of the year to make up for those lost proceeds.

“We have several organizations that are getting together to see if we can come up with other events throughout the year to raise the shortfall,” he said.

Next year, though, the Freedom Festival will happen.

“We will be doing it next year for sure,” he said. “Bigger and better.”

There are other Fourth of July events happening in Pasco County. New Port Richey will have the Friendly Kia Fest Main Street Blast Friday July 1st and Saturday July 2nd. Sparklebration takes place at the Pasco County Fair Grounds in Dade City on the Fourth.