WILKES-BARRE — Fourth of July fun returned to Wilkes-Barre this year after a much-too-quiet 2020, with the city holding an “old-fashioned” holiday bash in Kirby Park on Sunday, complete with food, rides and — of course — fireworks.
Officially dubbed “The City of Wilkes-Barre’s Old-Fashioned Fourth of July 2021 Celebration,” the all-day party in the park comes after a year in which the city was unable to accommodate any celebrations of the nation’s birthday as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While signs of the year that was were still evident throughout Kirby Park (including a vaccine trailer in which members of the Wilkes-Barre City Health Department administered doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for a few hours on Sunday), this year’s holiday represented more than just a celebration of Independence Day: It celebrated a return to form for Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding area as everyone looks to put COVID behind them.
“It’s good to see so many people here,” said Kim Petros, as she stood in line at the Maddy’s Doghouse food truck, one of many food and beverage trucks lining the walkway through the park. “Last year, we couldn’t do anything at all for the Fourth.”
The celebration officially started at 11 a.m. on Sunday, with much of the entertainment, including live music and the small-scale amusement park set up in the parking lot, kicking off right around noon.
As a number of people browsed the vendor selection or checked out the rides, others made their way down to the Martz Pavilion, where PA Live’s Chris Bohinski opened things up with a remarkable rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
Bohinski also served as the day’s first musical act, leading the crowd in patriotic tunes like “God Bless the USA” and “This Land is Your Land” with the help of some helpful young children from the audience. The kids were also treated to some free candy and other prizes during the performance.
The opening act also featured the toe-tapping rhythm of Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown, who played the tambourine alongside Bohinski before officially welcoming everyone to the city’s Fourth of July bash.
The mayor also made sure to give special thanks to the city’s Special Events Coordinator Patty Hughes, who has worked tirelessly to make sure the Fourth of July celebration went off without a hitch.
The celebration’s set list also included performances from Nick the Pic, Mellifluous, Eddie Day & The Star Fires and Daddy-O and the Sax Maniacs, who played right up to the start of the evening’s fireworks show.
The holiday spirit was in full effect and celebrated loud and proud, from the American flag-inspired clothing worn by some of the bands and many of the spectators to the smells of hot dogs and ice cream.
It was a fun day for all, whether they planned on staying at Kirby Park for the duration of the day or, like Sarah Shaw from Swoyersville, just made the Wilkes-Barre celebration one of many stops throughout the afternoon.
Shaw came to the park with her son Brantley, who looked like he was having the time of his life on one of the amusement park rides.
“He loves this ride,” Shaw said of her son, who was grinning ear-to-ear as the ride made a pass around where she was standing. “We’re going to go swimming after we leave here.”
Fun times, like the one Brantley was having, were part of what the mayor emphasized during his remarks to open the celebration.
“I want everyone to have a good time here today,” Brown said. “I want you all to make a memory while you’re here.”
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July 05, 2021 at 10:43AM
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Fun-filled Fourth returns - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
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