Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays! The excitement of a nation coming together to celebrate...no matter what race or religion people belong to, they come together to honor this great country & the freedoms we enjoy. And no matter what city in the United States you find yourself in on July 4th you will most certainly find a parade, a county fair or carnival (maybe both) & fireworks.Here in Provo it tends to start very early in the morning with Balloon Fest...it's always fun to watch the piles of nylon fabric fill up and turn into a beautiful magic giants then take off and dot the sky with a beautiful rainbow of colors.
The parade is another longstanding tradition that starts the evening before...people with blankets, sleeping bags, chairs, and umbrellas begin camping out all along the parade route. They even have it down to a science of where the best spot is along the route & which side of the street to be on. (On a side-note, one of my fondest memories from when Suzy & I were roommates here in Provo is of us driving down University Ave at 2:00 am with our car windows rolled down & yelling "wake up!" ...silly girls!)
And you have to stop by the Freedom Days County Fair to check out all the vendors, side shows & mini concerts...and then catch a few of the overpriced carnival rides.
But the best part of the day comes after dark...the fireworks! What an exciting way to end such an eventful day. I love it all...the loud pop of the cracker being lit, the beautiful colors painting the dark sky & the smell of sulfur in the air afterward. The perfect exclamation mark at the end of the celebration.
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." John F. Kennedy
