SEELEY LAKE – When the Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce canceled the community Fourth of July parade and fireworks due to COVID-19 restrictions, owners of the Tamaracks Resort Jeff and Jessica Kimmel decided to throw a celebration.
“We knew the rules that the Chamber would have to follow in order to provide safe social distancing per the governor’s directive and that it was impossible for them to comply,” wrote Kimmels in an email. “In trying to bring people together and offer solutions to the problem, we did the research to see what would be involved. We could [do it], so we did. It is really important to us that Seeley Lake not miss out on celebrating its independence.”
Those visiting Seeley Lake on the Fourth will be able to enjoy the annual pancake breakfast hosted at the Seeley Lake Fire Hall by the Seeley Lake Volunteer Fire Foundation in the morning, participate and/or watch a boat parade on the waters of Seeley Lake starting at 1 p.m. from Tamaracks Resort and watch a professional fireworks display over the central part of the lake starting at 10:30 p.m. put on by the Tamaracks.
Tamaracks is raising $6,000 for the display. Donations are being accepted through Citizens Alliance Bank to the Tamaracks Resort Fireworks Fund, on Venmo @Jessica-Kimmel-4 or by contributing to any of the donation buckets found throughout Seeley Lake.
The Chamber’s Executive Director Lisa Hayhurst estimated that the Fourth events typically draw up to 5,000 people from all over the United States. The Chamber Board agreed at their May 19 meeting that social distancing is not realistic at a large event where safety controls cannot be enforced over such a large area. They voted to cancel the annual parade and community fireworks show.
The Missoula City & County Health Department Order issued May 28 confirmed the Chamber’s decision. It addressed requirements for reopening businesses and events in Missoula County effective June 1, “Events and gatherings are limited to a total of 50 people in circumstances that do not readily allow for appropriate physical distancing for the duration of the event, including but not limited to receptions, dances, sports, parades and other events that are inherently inconducive to maintaining physical distancing.”
The Order specifically addressed events and gatherings exceeding 50 people in Appendix A. Some of the requirements for organizers included maintaining six-foot physical distance for the duration of the event; determining the maximum capacity of the event and excluding those who arrive above the maximum capacity; designing and monitoring seating to ensure six-foot distancing; identifying where an attendee was sitting or located during the event and providing this information to the Health Department for at least two weeks after the event on request; submitting a COVID-19 Event Plan for events of more than 1,000 people that must be approved by the Health Department. The Health Department stated the plan could be revoked at any time for non-compliance or otherwise.
Since the Tamaracks Resort had already committed their staff to volunteering for the Chamber’s events, they starting looking for a way to still hold a celebration.
They came up with the idea for a boat parade on the lake, instead of the traditional parade through town. This eliminated the need to get a permit from the Montana Department of Transportation to close Highway 83. It allows spectators to space out around the entire lake and any motorized boat that wants to participate can since they are not limited on space.
The Kimmels are going to be certified by Big Sky Fireworks, the group that traditionally provided the commercial firework in Seeley Lake. After a day of training in Helena, they will be certified for the electronic show. They will be lighting off the fireworks from the Chamber’s barge in the center of the lake.
“We consider the barge and other Chamber property (ie: stages, sandwich boards, etc) community property that Chamber members can use as needed for events,” said Hayhurst.
“Jeff and I are volunteering our time to get trained and organize the specifics but the firework show is still pretty expensive,” said Kimmel. “We are hoping that people will donate and help offset those costs. If the [$6,000] goal is not met, Tamaracks Resort will be responsible for the balance. If the goal is exceeded we will donate the rest back to the Chamber for next year’s festivities.”
Tamaracks set up a separate account at Citizens Alliance Bank for the fireworks fund to be transparent. They intend to report how much was raised after July 14.
“This is not about benefiting Tamaracks Resort,” said the Kimmels. “This is about our community and creating solutions.”
“This is a great solution, as the Chamber could not conduct the parade or fireworks while adhering to and ensuring the COVID restrictions were being followed correctly,” said Hayhurst.
Everyone with a motorized watercraft is invited to join the boat parade. Decorate your “boat” and start lining up on the water in front of Tamaracks Resort around 12:30 p.m. Boats can be launched at Big Larch or Seeley Lake Campgrounds.
The parade will start at 1 p.m. from the Tamaracks and head single-file to the south bay along the east shore and return along the west shore. There is no grand marshal, theme or prizes this year. The Kimmels said it is just a time to get together and “Celebrate Montana Style.” People can watch the parade from the water or from the public beaches around the lake.
The fireworks show will start at 10:30 p.m. from a centralized location on the lake visible from Big Larch, Seeley Lake and River Point Campgrounds as well as the rest of the shore. Camp Paxson is not open to the public for parade or fireworks viewing. While donations are greatly appreciated, there will be no shot numbers or dedication this year for the fireworks. Please remember shooting fireworks off on federal and state land is illegal.
To help or get involved with either the fireworks or parade contact Tamaracks Resort at 406-677-2433 or email tamaracksevents@gmail.com
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