June 17, 2026
ELISHA TERADA/UNSPLASH.COM
Mount Holly Township has canceled its annual Fourth of July celebration at Iron Works Park this year. Township officials and police say there are too many security concerns stemming from incidents at other recent community events in Burlington County.
Mount Holly Township will not have a Fourth of July celebration for the nation's 250th anniversary due to concerns about a string of incidents at other festivals and events in Burlington County over the past few months, officials said.
The township reached the decision to forgo its annual festival after a security review found that ensuring public safety would incur "significant costs" to move forward with the event.
"This decision was not made lightly – over the past few months, we have been meticulously monitoring local and regional events throughout New Jersey, assessing which events have been cancelled due to alarming violence, as well as those communities' that have continued their events with significantly increased security measures and protocol put into place," the township said in a joint statement with Mount Holly police.
Several communities in Burlington County have had recent events disrupted and cut short by disturbances.
At the beginning of May, the Maple Shade Tigers Youth Football Carnival went awry when a large group of teens started fights in and around the fundraising event. Maple Shade police intervened to break up several fights.
"They were cursing at police officers. They were clearly trying to provoke physical confrontations with cops," Maple Shade police Lt. Daniel O'Brien told 6ABC.
The incident led officials to cancel the second night of the carnival, causing the youth football team to miss out on donations. Police said several teenagers were charged.
Later in May, the annual Saint Mary of the Lakes Carnival and Music Fest in Medford Township was held with enhanced security in response to unruly crowds at other events in South Jersey over the past few years. Medford police were joined by neighboring agencies and new crowd control measures were introduced at festival entrances. Police also deployed drones at the event.
At the end of May, five people were arrested for fighting on the first night of the annual Roebling Carnival in Florence Township. Police said the carnival became "overwhelmed by unruly individuals," requiring the Burlington County's Sheriff's Department and officers from 13 other police departments to help restore order. One officer was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries, and the rest of the four-day event was canceled.
Elsewhere in South Jersey, the annual Gloucester Township Day in Camden County has been canceled two years in a row over safety concerns.
Mount Holly's Fourth of July celebration, held at Iron Works Park in years past, usually features live music, carnival rides, food trucks and a tent for beer and wine. The night is capped by a fireworks display above the park.
"With our spectators and vendors' safety top of mind, we could not enact a viable, actionable solution in such a short period of time to alleviate our security concerns without incurring additional, significant costs to the Township and our residents," the statement from the township and police said.
Security concerns have loomed over other Fourth of July events in the region in the past year. In the Philly suburbs, Whitemarsh Township initially pulled the plug on its annual parade last year after police said they lacked the resources to protect the parade route. The department cited deadly incidents in New Orleans and Vancouver, where suspects drove vehicles into crowds, and a mass shooting in suburban Chicago during a Fourth of July parade in 2022.
Whitemarsh residents challenged the township's decision, questioning officials' motivations during a heated town hall event in the weeks leading up to the parade. The township eventually reversed course and developed a plan to hold the parade with increased security. The parade in Whitemarsh will take place again this year to mark the national milestone.
Maple Shade officials said they recognize the cancelation of this year's parade will be a letdown to people who have attended in years past.
"We understand the disappointment this decision may cause and extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all who have supported this event over the years," officials said.
