Independence Day Blast a success

The Pittsburg-Camp County Chamber’s first Independence Blast was complete with a kids Red, White and Blue Parade and the Fireman’s Waterworks station spraying down an eager crowd of kids.

“It was all so good,” said Chamber Executive Director Christine Jackson. “We had Giggles, and the Kazoo Crew all decked out for the parade. We must have had about 50 kids, and they were all so cute with their bikes decorated and their scooters and parents pulling little kids in wagons.”

One of Chamber President James Wallace 19 grandkids took the prize for best decorated this year with a George Washington costume and a bike decorated like his white horse.

The Pittsburg Fire Department, she said, seemed to have as much fun as the kids with the water hose.

“They had a special nozzle to spray kids down, and they all had a blast,” she said.

The fireworks crew capped the night with a spectacular show.

“It started with the national anthem playing, and three red rockets shot up and a smiley face to say, ‘Welcome to the show,’” Jackson said. “We had discussed doing a mini-grand finale halfway through the show, and he did that, and people were cheering thinking it was over, but he started back up again and then did another, and at the very end he sent up another smiley face.”

Jackson said the show went over the planned 20 minutes and Star 96.9’s staff had to scramble to add more patriotic music to the simulcast.

“It was incredible,” she said.