SO FOURTH!
HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS IN FULL SWING ACROSS BAY STATE
A love of country, music and friends brought thousands of people to the Esplanade and the Back Bay on a sun-drenched Independence Day weekend.
“I love the celebrating and meeting new people from all over the world,” said Donna Brown, shortly after setting up her chair in front of the Hatch Shell stage for the Boston Pops dress rehearsal yesterday. “It’s about all of us being proud of the United States. I think it’s important to show what America is about, everyone coming together and enjoying different events and celebrating our freedom.”
Nearby Beacon Street also was lined with folks dressed for the holiday. Twin sisters Kim Golinski and Tammy Frates, and their little sister Leah LeClair, and Kim’s daughter Mikhaila donned starspangled getups.
“I love seeing everyone get all excited to be in America, to be in Boston,” Golinski said. “Boston is one of the best cities for celebrating America.”
“This is where it all started,” Frates added, noting Boston’s historic past.
Eleanor and Charles Kelley of Braintree, married 53 years, walked arm-in-arm down Beacon wearing an all-red outfit with “USA” across the front and an allwhite suit with an American flag lapel pin, respectively.
“The people are always so nice and very friendly, you see families out having fun, and I love young people because I’m old,” Eleanor said, laughing.
“It’s great, it’s a beautiful day to have something like this here,” Charles said. “It’s Independence Day.”
“He’s still waiting to get his independence,” Eleanor piped in. “That’s not going to happen!”
Patriotic patrons decked out in red, white, and blue lined up to watch the Boston Pops dress rehearsal concert, complete with appearances by country band Little Big Town and pop superstars Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas.
“We have never been here before, it’s going to be so fun,” said Sarah Scaletta of Acton with her 8-yearold daughter, Madison, at her side. “This holiday is great for honoring our soldiers and being with family and friends, and celebrating America.”
“And Nick Jonas,” Madison added enthusiastically.
Fans were let into the oval on the Esplanade just after 5:30 p.m. Sarah Herd and her daughter Caroline, 8, were the first two inside. They ran hand-in-hand with ear-to-ear smiles as they claimed a prime spot for the evening festivities.
“I love the music, the fireworks,” Herd said when asked what she liked about the holiday. “We are so lucky, it’s a part of our heritage here in the city, we are lucky.”
Belmont residents Carrie Estok and Kim Beer were there with a group of around 15 people and said the chance to be with friends is what brings them together every year on the Fourth.
“It’s good, clean fun. We bring the family, we bring friends, it’s a time for all of us to get together,” Beer said.
“It’s a beautiful day in Boston,” Estok added. “We had a lot of fun. We were in the shade, we brought snacks and games for the kids and we got to sit and relax and watch them play.”