A Fireworks Finale To Remember

As the sun set and the anticipation started to rise, the first few fireworks were shot off close to 9 p.m., creating a canvas of white smoke over the sky.

Then a dazzling show ensued Wednesday night for New Haveners gathered all around Wilbur Cross High School to view this year’s Fourth of July fireworks show, which was set off atop East Rock. The fireworks were sponsored by MGM Resorts International.

In the hot night, everyone from families with children on their shoulders to young couples watched the work of art in the sky. Emotions were built throughout the night, with a constant flow of fireworks ensuring there was little dead time in the air.

The tempo of the firework shots slowly increased into the finale, when people started cheering and averting all their attention to the fireworks above. The finale alternated between single fireworks that lit up the whole sky and smaller ones that were set off with machine-gun like speed. Although they were colored in vibrant greens, golds, and reds, the fireworks that erupted in red, white, and blue got the most enthusiastic response from the onlookers.

In the light of the finale, people’s smiling faces were illuminated. Young children seemed frozen in awe holding their neon glow sticks, teenagers huddled together and recorded clips of the show on their smartphones, and older residents sat in their lawn chairs and leaning up towards the sky.

After the last firework was shot off, the attendees whooped and cheered for a great show. As everyone was leaving, the energy among the crowd was still palpable, with the smoke still trailing off into the sky.