Hundreds of spectators came out to Buddy Attick Park to celebrate Independence Day by watching the fireworks over the lake, but not before a storm threatened the show.
For many Greenbelters, July 4, 2019, will be remembered as a wet day. Storms grumbled throughout the late morning and early afternoon with rain falling even into dusk. At times the rain poured, at other times it dripped, but the drizzle was continuous.
Still, even as the rain fell, fireworks technicians loaded up barges with fireworks underneath a small tent. As some looked out their windows at the gray sky and searched on Facebook whether there would even be a show, police officers started to set up cones on Crescent Road and closed the park parking lot.
A funnel cake booth was set up by the path leading to the lake, parties started to form by the picnic sites, and families began to claim picnic benches. The rain trickled down as fireworks enthusiasts trickled in, setting up their chairs under diverse patterns of colorful umbrellas as early as four hours before the show.
Although the Concert Band decided to forego a show, the annual drum circle led by Greenbelt resident Katy Gaughan continued as planned to entertain those early birds who were around. Speaking of birds, a few military helicopters and large planes from the President’s show also made rounds high above the lake at around 6:30 p.m.
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