Lenox Square is ending its popular July 4th fireworks display after a 57-year run and instead partnering with a competing production at Centennial Olympic Park.
Management of the Buckhead mall cited “a multitude” of other metro Atlanta events celebrating the Fourth of July and said it plans to instead “offer a new type of celebration for the Atlanta community and surrounding neighborhoods.”
For many years, "Lenox Square's Legendary Fourth of July" display had been among the biggest in metro Atlanta, drawing people from throughout the region to the iconic mall. According to one report, it was expected to draw more than 350,000 spectators last year.
Competing displays cropped up over the years, including one not far away at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.
On Wednesday evening, Lenox announced that “After much thoughtful consideration, with input from community leaders and officials, Lenox Square has decided to combine forces with Centennial Olympic Park’s July 4th celebration to deliver a more spectacular fireworks show than ever before.”
Lenox will give a “generous donation” toward the event at the park, which is administered by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, according to the mall’s press release.
Robin Suggs, Lenox’s general manager, said in the release that, “By partnering with Centennial Olympic Park, which is only nine miles away, we can deliver an even better experience for everyone involved and provide much needed operational relief to the City of Atlanta during a very busy holiday.”
The mall said it would add patriotic activities.
Lenox gets heavy Fourth of July traffic, including participants and well-wishers at the AJC Peachtree Road Race, with its start line just in front of the mall.
Last year, the AJC reported that the Lenox fireworks display was slated to include more than 4,000 shells.
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