Crowds attend parade and fireworks
Despite the heat, massive crowds visited downtown Ellijay to celebrate July Fourth.
Even a brief glimpse of the festival revealed the patriotism of attendees.
Storefronts, parade floats and even the crowds blazed with red, white and blue.
Before the parade, vendors, voting for a business decorating contest and a pie-eating contest kept people entertained.
Ellijay River House won the decorating contest, and Garrett Martin won the pie-eating contest.
People in attendance had much to celebrate.
“It’s wonderful, just wonderful,” Navy veteran Brian Meagher said.
Meagher, a submariner, served from 1958 to 1964.
“When you think of what they went through to get to this point, it’s just great,” he said.
Although visitors to the crowd came from different states, all those interviewed by the Times-Courier said the best thing about being an American is freedom.
“I love my freedom to pretty much speak and do what I want to do,” Tim Fauffer, a visitor from Florida, said. “We can go to any state we want to. We can travel all around this beautiful country.”
“Freedom of religion is my favorite,” Ellijay local Sabrina Holt said. “Because I don’t have to be afraid to express my belief.”
One Cuban immigrant shared a special moment with Daughters of the American Revolution member Terri Olsen.
“This is the first time I felt like I was an American,” the woman told her.
For the next year of America, many people in the crowd wanted peace.
This desire often applied to both the war with Iran, increasing levels of division at home and for conflicts all over the world.
“I wish everybody would unite more together, and be more peaceful, and agree on more things with each other,” Ellijay resident Jacob Mathews said.
Some people interviewed also said they hoped for lower gas prices.
By the time of the parade, hundreds had gathered to see the floats, firetrucks and old cars drive up Main Street and through the roundabout.
Uncle Sam, the Statue of Liberty, Santa Claus, historical figures and more all made an appearance in the parade.
After dark, the City of Ellijay put on a dramatic fireworks show.
In a short space of time, barrages of fireworks filled the sky with red, white, blue, gold, green and purple.
The light in the sky showed watchers that even after 250 years, the star-spangled banner was still flying.