Multitudes descend on park for 4th of July activities

The Chamber did an excellent job in Peacock Park yesterday for 4th of July. The fireworks started after the sun went down, but at about 6 pm, the park was already filling up. By sunset, it was impossible to move around. The food trucks had lines that were an hour long to get food. By 9 pm, streets coming into the area were packed with cars. The police claim that is was more than the Arts Fesitval crowds and more than Halloween night. Cars were backed up on South Bayshore Drive, McFarlane Road, Mary Street and Grand Avenue.


While we know people show up for the fireworks, they don't always show up early, but I do think the food trucks had a lot to do with the early crowds. I got these photos early, but didn't get any photos after dark, but picture wall to wall traffic and wall to wall people.


There were long lines, non-stop, at the trucks, the whole time the festivities were on. Even into the evening as the fireworks started.


Lots of Samuel Adams beer flowed (the Chamber actually ran out by 9 pm) and the live music on the stage engaged the crowd. The weather, while warm and humid (hey, it's summer in South Florida), was perfect and that too probably brought so many people out.

As people entered the Grove during daylight hours, they could not help but smile as they saw Daniela Viotti, the living statue, greeting them as the Statue of Liberty. As people entered after dark, they were faced with the long lines of traffic. As people left the Grove after the fireworks, streets had to be shut down because of so much foot traffic, which literally took over McFarlane Road and other streets. A good problem to have? Maybe, maybe not. We like it.