New Jersey township cancels Independence Day Celebration, citing "alarming violence"

The Mount Holly Independence Day Celebration has been canceled ahead of America's 250th anniversary, citing "alarming violence." 

In a joint announcement earlier this week, the township and police decided to cancel next month's celebration.

"We regret to announce the cancellation of the 2026 Mount Holly Township Independence Day Celebration," the announcement said. "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 announcement said that the township couldn't enact an "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."

"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," the announcement said.

While Mount Holly didn't specify the "alarming violence," numerous carnivals, including the Roebling Carnival in Florence Township, have been canceled in recent years.

In May, the Roebling Carnival was canceled after the first night when crowds became unruly, which led to a police officer being injured and several fights.