Does anyone remember as a kid the entire family going to the park with blankets and lawn chairs and a basket of food to wastch the fireworks? The parks were always filled with other familys doing the same and more often then not all the neighbors sat together. It was a hoot and a wonderful night to remember all year long. The foreworks were magnificient and all us kids ran around with sparklers...how times have changed!

Our suburb which is a separate town has a huge celebration. It starts off with a huge parade where almost anyone can march and stuff goes onl all day with ice cream, etc.
It ends with a local college that has students sing patriotic songs in a show before dark then the fireworks are choreographed to the patriotic songs played by the college orchestra.
It's very moving. Everyone brings chairs (Dan and I have red white and blue) and eats and watches. It's fun.
smile

July first was our celebration.

"Happy Canada Day"

Sparklers and firecrackers were the only fireworks we had back then.
chick

[ July 01, 2005, 11:01 AM: Message edited by: chickadee ]

Our town still has a parade. When the kids were younger I would dress them in red, white and blue and head to the parade. I don't think I could get away with that now.

There are also several firework displays around town.

One of my favorite 4th. memories was the year our daughter became a citizen. Immigration asked our family to be in the downtown celebration. We were driven from the courthouse to The Constellation (old ship)in the Inner Harbor where she became a a citizen. Family and friends were invited. It was a touching ceremony.

We rented rooms at the Hyatt and created a huge celebration. Everyone brought party food. We were in and out of the festivities at the harbor all day and night. It was a blast.

I have a picture of the party girl sound asleep in one of her red, white and blue outfits (she had a few for that event)on top of her blanket with a balloon under the back of her shirt. One of her cousins stuck the ballon in her shirt and she giggled and left it there for hours. What fun memories.

I don't want to hijack this in any way, and have sat here wondering whether or not to add this tidbit...and finally gave in to temptation.

My birthday is July 4th, and for most of my childhood, I grew up (here in Canada) being told (and believing) that all of the United States was celebrating my birthday. It was so much easier in those days to stay innocent and naive, and so I believed that story right up until I was about 12 years old. What a letdown when I found out that all those fireworks and parades WEREN'T in my honour!

You'd think that I would have grown up with more self esteem believing all those years that my birthday was worthy of such "ginormous" celebration. LOL! (Confession: even now, there's a wee 5-year-old part of me that still claims some of those fireworks for myself)

[ July 01, 2005, 01:12 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]

Happy Birthday a few days early Eagle!
And Happy 4th to everyone else!

We still go to one of the local parks and listen to music (our friends band) and visit with all the neighbors, friends etc.

After the music is over from dinner until sunset then the fireworks. Patriotic songs are song along with the crowd and it is touching to see people stop what theya re doing and stand and sing "God Bless America". Very moving. We look forward to it every year.

Lynn

Thats a great story Eagle and why shouldn't they have been for you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY early and know some of the sparklers I and my grandson light in his back yard will be in honor of your special day too. I guess I will have to forego my strict diet on the fourth as well and eat a piece of cake in your honor as well. It will be a sacrifice BUT what are friends for, HE, HE, HE!!!

Happy Birthday Eagle!!!!!
Our whole county celebrates here. There are several parades and they are fun and funny. One of my friends is Grand Marshall in Rockaway so will Have to take pictures. After that everyone heads for either the beach or the shops. There are games for the kids on the beach like climbing the greased pole or finding as much change as you can in a rope off area,
there are other games too.
A lot of people spend the day on the beach. They set of the fireworks that they can. At dusk the Volunteer Fire Department puts on the second best display in Oregon. If you are up high you can see several different fireworks up and down the coast.
Maggie

Chatty, you are indeed a true friend. It's a tough job (eating a piece of cake in someone else's honor) but someone's got to do it and it might as well be you (especially if it's triple chocolate cheesecake - now that would be quite a generous and blessed sacrifice).

And this year, my first at being a "quinquagenarian" I'll be ever so grateful for the extra honor. So let me know how yummy a sacrifice it was, my friend. I'll be watching for the ripples of light from your sparklers.