Jul. 5—WILKES-BARRE — The United States’ 249th birthday was observed under the sun at Kirby Park on Friday with the city’s Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration. Food and craft vendors, amusement rides, carnival games, musical performances, and an enormous firework display in the evening were open to the crowd, which came from a variety of areas to celebrate American independence in Wilkes-Barre.
The United States Army Field Band performed a free concert on Tuesday, July 1, at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, and, earlier on July 4, the traditional Bernie’s Run benefited the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA. At the free concert, veterans in the audience were saluted for their service. It’s these kinds of community actions that Mayor George Brown considers when thinking about the Fourth of July.
“Today, seeing everybody out and enjoying the beautiful day, knowing that today we’re going to have great music, great vendors, and then, at the end, we’re going to have a great fireworks display… That’ll be the culmination of the Independence Day weekend…,” Brown said. “I’m very proud to be an American.”
Brown, who noted that his father served during World War II in the South Pacific, was chatting with passersby throughout the afternoon, whether they were from the city or not.
“What happens in Wilkes-Barre pulls in people from different townships,” Brown said of the all-encompassing nature of the Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration.
David Harter, of Mountain Top, was one of the residents who came to Wilkes-Barre from elsewhere in Luzerne County. The main draw to Kirby Park was the music.
“The groups,” Harter answered when asked about why he chose to come to the Wilkes-Barre for the Fourth of July for the second year in a row. Triple Fret, Eddie Day & TNT, Fuzzy Park, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic were on Friday’s performing schedule.
“The only suggestion that I would have is to put some shade trees out there,” Harter added, pointing to a large sunny spot in the field in front of the Kirby Park stage.
In addition to the musical performances, Harter was looking forward to the fireworks at night and the assortment of food options situated behind him.
“I think after we’re done listening, we’re going to do a walk-through to check out the vendors,” he said.
Other celebrants came from even further away to experience Wilkes-Barre. Kenneth Jones, of New York, said he walked around Kirby Park and the River Common on Thursday night, and realized that Friday would be an exciting day for the community. That’s why he was back for the holiday, keeping cool in the shade and watching over the Kirby Park pond.
Jones said that most of his time in Northeast Pennsylvania has been spent in the Poconos, but is now realizing that Wilkes-Barre has a lot of history and nature to explore.
In the context of the modern era, the admirable bonding displayed by the people in Kirby Center for the Fourth of July taps into some much-needed community-building.
“We were just saying every community should have it,” Jones said of the Fourth of July celebration. “It brings community together. Especially in the times we’re living in now, we need all the community fun we can have while we can have it.”