Fourth of July, celebrations, fun, good food, and the very sweet icing on the cake, firework shows. I grew up in a town that was full of patriotic spirit. The fourth of July was definitely not just another day. The town was transformed, and everyone came out to play. The festivities started at the park in the center of town. Game booths were scattered amongst the smells of barbequed kabobs, tri tip sandwiches, corn on the cob, and cotton candy. The park was a sea of people dressed in red white and blue and waving the all important flag with a vigor that seemed to only occur on that one day of the year. From the distance, a piccolo chimes and the band starts marching in. This is not your ordinary band, but one full of my family members. My dad is the director, and my older brothers and sister have played in it for as long as I can remember. I was the little kid walking beside the band, waving my flag with as much pride as I could muster and cheering until I couldn????t cheer any more. The band marched to the bandstand, and then the concert began. One Susa march after another, and every patriotic masterpiece that you can????t go the day without hearing at least once were played and directed with pride. This was just the beginning of the day, and already packed with more 4th of July tradition and spirit than some towns see in a lifetime. On to the stadium!!

The anticipation of seeing the fireworks show was half the fun. The evening in the stadium started with a picnic of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Then the band played again just in time for the fly-over. The low rumble of the stadium and the complete disappearance of every other sound gave a sense of pride like no other. This is where we live, and yes we are being protected. Then the music started again, and in come the skydivers. This only meant one thing; the fireworks are coming soon, very soon. We always got front row seats on the field, a spot always reserved for the 4th of July Band. The fireworks were so close I felt I could touch them. The sun started to go down and the anticipation grew as music played in the background. We waited for the countdown to begin. The lights go off, and the firework show began! All choreographed to music, the story started, and the display was always more fantastic than the year before. Even as a kid, it brought tears to my eyes. How at that very moment could you not feel proud to live in the good old US of A? This is where my love of firework shows comes from. There will never be a better fireworks show than the one in Redlands. It will always hold a special place in my heart for its fabulous 4th of July celebration and the icing on the cake, the glorious fireworks show!