JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Get ready to bring out your Turkey costumes and accessories. After a brief cancellation last week, the long-time Pete's Bar Thanksgiving Day street party in Downtown Neptune Beach will continue.
The annual Pete's Bar Thanksgiving Day Party is a go now that the owners have resolved insurance issues. Neptune Beach City Council voted to approve the party at Monday night's meeting, but the mayor laid out some concerns for next year.
When Pete's Bar announced that it was cancelling a 30-year holiday tradition - thousands of locals like Faith Reagan and her husband were disappointed.
"I don't have any family any more so I's just the two of us and the holidays are very long very lonely days," Reagan said.
For Reagan, the street party is a Fletcher High School reunion. All her former classmates who have moved up north – come back to Neptune Beach for the Thanksgiving Day bash.
"I can't wait to go home and let my friends from Georgia know the Pete's party is still on this year," Reagan said.
Pete's Bar Co-owner John Whittingslow says getting proper insurance for the event was the biggest issue. The street party has grown into a massive gathering of roughly 5,000 people over the years. When word got out of its cancellation, locals offered their help.
"Three different insurance companies when they found the celebration was in jeopardy volunteered to write us coverage so we think all the problems are done," Whittingslow said.
Neptune Beach Mayor Harriet Pruette says the cancellation was a surprise for everyone.
"It plays on the heart strings of the community and they get all upset and it really is not fair," Pruette said.
To avoid this from happening next year, Pruette says they need to get all their ducks or in this case turkeys in a row – early on.
Mayor Pruette says the only change they've made to this year's party is that they've cut it short one hour. It's now from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day instead of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. as they've had it previous years.
