With it being billed as one of the largest fireworks displays in the Metro, I was very surprised to be disappointed. This was our first (maybe last) Fourth of July at this location.

If there is no flooding next year, we will probably return to the event we usually attend. I also liked last night's display in Liberty a lot. Although yesterday the fireworks weren't as dramatic as some displays I've attended, it was an overall pleasant day with an enjoyable fireworks show to end the day.

Yesterday's "little city" venue didn't feel they needed (nor have) a "Mass Casualty Support" Unit NOR a tractor trailer sized "Mobile Police Command Center" NOR dozens of police officers walking around in bullet proof vests like tonight's venue did. Tonight you definitely felt that you were back in "the big city" and living in today's world.

Unlike last night's delightful concert, the music tonight was also overly loud and not enjoyable. That was another negative. Last night the live music was a treat; plus patriotic music also accompanied the fireworks display. Tonight, the band was annoying and stopped just before the display started.

Plus today, the grounds layout was rather odd. There were very dense pockets of people everywhere; yet no real overview of the entire scene. I heard that 15 thousand people packed the area; so it obviously was a popular venue for people who live in that part of the Metro. However, IMO, the way things were laid out felt rather claustrophobic. That bothered me far more the quantity of people. Getting to the location when the grounds opened, we ended up staring at the side of a food truck for hours... Not enjoyable. Veterans-to-the-function recommended where-we-set-up as being the "best" place to set up for the fireworks. Since all the other early arrivals also set up in that area, it may have been.

Either way, I found the fireworks show rather disappointing. So much so that I stopped even trying to shoot. Lots of very fast blasts, but not much to photograph. No amazed ooo's and aaah's (as one often hears at some of the more impressive displays)from spectators either.

On the positive side, the VFW did a really nice job in honoring veterans and active military with a complimentary dinner. Two thumbs up for that. That was the highlight of the day. Another positive was that there were a lot of porta potties all over the place. That was more of a functional item than a highlight. But no matter where you were on the festival grounds, you didn't have to walk far to find a porta potty nor wait long in line. Amazing since there was sooooo many people spread out all over the place.

Although I'm sure it appeals to other who return year after year, it just wasn't a venue that either my husband or myself enjoyed. Instead of wishing the wonderful day could go on forever, we were kept checking the time to see "how much longer' things would be. The music was too loud for us to talk. The view was boring...

Last night, the fireworks started even later than tonight's show, but that had been such a pleasant evening. Unlike today, boredom with merely killing time never an issue. We enjoyed talking to each other & people watching & just walking around the large, open grounds. There was even a small, stocked pond with the festival offering the loan of fishing poles for those who wanted to fish before dark. Although the smaller city's July 4th event also hosted thousands of people, it still felt like an old fashioned, little town Fourth of July celebration. There was real community spirt. Plus everywhere was airy & open. You could see in all directions as far as the eye could see. Wish things today hadn't been so shut in... The negatives about yesterday was a very long walk from the parking lot; pls a longer time for all the cars to be able exit after the show. Neither thing was that bad.

Today, we sat on a strip of lawn between a parking lot and the Northbound lane of a street. Food trucks lined the street. More people sat on another strip of lawn between that street and the Southbound opposite lane of the street. There were more food trucks. On the other side of the streets was a small gully where the stage was. People sitting down there had to look almost a steep 90 degree up to try to see the fireworks clearing the trees. In general, most people were sitting here & there; in between various areas between the streets. They were spread as far away as 1/4 mile or more. As I said, the event's seating logistics were rather strange. From what I could tell, we actually were set up in one of the "best" locations to be close to everything but the stage. Only a few people could see the stage. What bothered me was that there weren't enough open spaces for people to see even see each other. Everything was layout in small pockets of crowded humanity. It was weird.

Both last night & tonight were new venues for us. I'd return to one, but probably not the other.

On top of everything else, it rained heavily today. Some other Fourth of July fireworks celebrations either got postponed or cancelled because of rain. We did ourselves get caught in one very heavy downpour. However, that really had nothing to do with my opinion about the event. We had an umbrella; plus we also were able to get back to the VFW tent and out of the heavy rainstorm until it had passed.

I write all this to remind myself in future years what I preferred and why. I did get a few decent photos tonight, but nothing that I super liked. Frankly due to the nature of the blasts, I actually stopped even trying to shoot. I just gave up and merely watched. The booms were so fast - with no break or variance - that they sounded like someone rhythmically shooting off a very loud cap gun. Bang bang. Bang bang. Bang bang.