See story on Weeks Park events Wednesday
City residents, along with many others from across the county, as well as out-of-towners celebrated the Fourth of July and America’s 250th anniversary all day Saturday, thank in large part to the fireworks spectacular and other events put on by Clinton’s Recreation and Parks Department.
Temperatures that were spiking at 100 degrees didn’t deter people from coming outside to celebrate the day and have a good time.
Royal Lane Park hosted events throughout the day, from 9 in the morning until well after 9 that evening, when people from all around the area parked by the football field and baseball fields at the park, waiting and counting down for the fireworks to begin. In fact, as in year’s past, people gathered in the Sampson Crossing and Lowe’s parking lots, as well, many sitting on hoods of cars, anxiously anticipating the night’s main event.
The morning began with Home Run Derbies at Royal Lane Park’s baseball fields. The Adult Softball Home Run Derby began at 9 a.m., followed by the Youth Home Run Derby at 10; the youth portion was separated into 10 years or younger and 11 years and up.
In the Adult Home Run Derby, Justin Carter won with five home runs.
Notably, the Youth Home Run Derby for the 12U division came down to a tie between Kamdyn Bryant and Jackson Bullard. Bryant and Bullard both hit numerous baseballs out of the park, but it was Bullard who scored the most; Bullard ended with 10 home runs.
Meanwhile, downtown, near the Sampson County Courthouse, local vendors set up their stalls and booths at Fresh Market on the Square, hosted every first and third Saturday by the city. Young entrepreneurs Emma and Kelsey set up their shop. New vendor Diane Miller, who just started a flower farm, brought along some flower bouquets with her business, Petal-n-Eggs.
Traffic downtown fluctuated in and out, but picked up around lunchtime.
Back at Royal Lane Park, the Clinton Recreation Department hosted a cornhole tournament at noon at the Bellamy Center. Justin Carter and Dider Lamb were crowned the Clinton Rec Department Cornhole Champions.
Vonnie McNeil, Bellamy Center assistant, spent most of the day outside helping supervise events at the park. McNeil drove around the park in a golf cart with a loaded cooler full of Gatorades and water for anybody who might be thirsty. One of the city’s top priorities, officials said, was assisting everyone keep hydrated so they could safely enjoy the festivities.
For those not working who wanted to cool off, the Royal Lane Pool was open from 1-6 p.m.
At 5 p.m., food trucks opened up at the park, along with bounce houses, face-painting, and a live DJ.
Around 7 p.m. that evening, cars filled with spectators began parking to wait for the fireworks. Friends and families started picking their spots and laying out. Children played on the park’s playground until dark.
By 9 p.m. that night, the football field where the fireworks would be shot off was blocked off to the public, as the public was filling up the parking lots. Police assisted in directing traffic.
Friends and families got out of their cars and talked among themselves. Some children ran around in excitement. Other kids tried to count down to the fireworks, hoping they would start as soon as they stopped counting. A drone was sent up into the sky to watch and observe the event.
When all of the lights in the park suddenly went dark, the excitement and anticipation among everyone was palpable. Cheers erupted when the fireworks started. There were ooh’s and ahh’s, and some people gasped while others covered their ears.
The grand finale for the fireworks was grand indeed, grandiose and bombastic, filling the sky with almost every color and — of course — red, white, and blue. The images of those final fireworks evoked the patriotic pride of America 250, and as people slowly crept out of the park amidst such dense traffic, a few surprise final fireworks were set off.