On the night of July 3rd, anyone traveling along the Peachtree Industrial Boulevard corridor through Sugar Hill witnessed the larger than expected crowds that showed up at E.E. Robinson Park. They could also observe the sight those crowds came out to see. One impressive fireworks display was provided by the City of Sugar Hill!
Sugar Hill’s annual Sparks in the Park event, which is always held on July 3rd, drew spectators from all around the area. The festivities kicked off at 6 p.m. with music, food, and inflatables for all ages. The event also featured The Mike Veal Band as their musical guest. The city arranged an excellent lineup of food trucks to keep the spectators happy, which included Famous Joe’s, LoCo Motion, 108B Events, Daddy O’s Irish Ice Cream Pub, Smoky Mountain Snow GA, The Tempted Palate, Brooke Lynn’s Own, Sticks & Cones, G. Sisters Kettle Corn, The Coffee Hippie, and Funnel Cakes & More.
At 10 p.m., Sugar Hill Mayor, Steve Edwards took center stage to speak to the spectators. “Freedom is not free,” stated Mayor Edwards. “There are so many sacrifices for our veterans and their families we cannot imagine.” Edwards then asked for all veterans to stand and be recognized for their selfless service to our country. After thanking the veterans, Edwards asked everyone else to stand as well, remove their hats, and join in singing the national anthem.
The anticipation of the crowd reached a fevered pitch. The show began and a rainbow of colors filled the sky before the crowd had waited for too long. A 22-minute display of fireworks was synced to music and kept young and old alike enthralled in the presentation. The show was one of the longest Independence Day firework displays in this area. They could be seen and heard for miles around.
“You know the fireworks are good when the kids think it’s the grand finale long before the show is over! Awesome show again this year. It was our second year,” said Laurie Gee after their family attended the event.
City officials estimated around 12,000 people attended this year’s event — a number that was well above the projected crowd the city anticipated.
Edwards commended the city works on how they tried to accommodate and please such a large crowd in an enjoyable and orderly fashion. He also stated, looking towards next year’s event, that the city will make plans to provide more restrooms and food trucks.
All in all, Sparks in the Park was a huge success. Sugar Hill once again planned and executed a well thought out family friendly event. Wendy Fowler, who just recently moved with her family to the area said, “We absolutely had the best time ever. We will definitely be making this a yearly family tradition.”