Fireworks on the water

by Eliza H
(Belmont, MA )

The best fireworks display I have ever seen was in Portland Maine in 1999. I was born on the Fourth of July, so not only does my family celebrate our nation's independence on that day each year, but also my birthday!
One year we visited my grandmother who lives near the water on the coast of Maine. The fireworks display is amazing! When you walk down to the promenade, the view is of the ocean and nearby islands in the bay. There are food trucks selling fried dough, hot dogs, and other all-American treats, as well as peddlers selling glow necklaces and noisemakers to the children who are up past their bedtime. We stake out a spot on the grassy hill, get some snacks and sit on our big blanket. Its like a summer picnic but without the sun!
A bandstand begins to play songs like Grand Ole Flag, God Bless America, and the like, as the show is about to begin. All of a sudden, a whistle and a pop then a flash of light and the fireworks have begun! There are all sorts of fireworks in this show, ones that crackle and sparkle down to the ground, ones that have little baby fireworks that shoot off once the main one has exploded, fireworks that make a shape that looks like saturn, and fireworks that attempt at making a picture or a face. My favorite fireworks are the simple round ones that fill the sky will a burst of brilliant color.
Then comes the finale, which unleashes what seems to be the amount of fireworks from the whole display in the course of 4 minutes. One after another, then ten at a time and more and more until all that is left is a giant smoke cloud and the smell of gunpowder and fire. The parents bring their sleepy children in for the night, their necklaces still glowing.