A soggy start by gray-skied Mother Nature didn’t hamper the holiday spirit of hundreds of patriots – rocking red, white and blue in all varieties – who showed up at the Esplanade to celebrate America’s 247th birthday.
Back Bay resident Lou Spelios showed up at 3 a.m., nine hours before gates opened at noon. He was second in line. After reading about the annual Fourth of July celebration at the Hatch Memorial Shell, he said he learned it takes “some effort” to get a close seat.
“It was raining torrents, just torrents,” Spelios said after plopping down his green beach chair in the front row around 12:15. “I was just sitting there thinking ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this. I can’t believe I’m doing this.’”
Massachusetts State Police shut down entry to the Esplanade around 2:30 p.m. due to the rain, lightning and wind. Authorities reopened the venue at 5, with the concert and fireworks scheduled to go on as planned.
Kimberly Vanaman left her Newton home around 4 a.m., getting to the Esplanade in time for her husband to be fourth in line. She said her husband received “a lot” of attention for their bright yellow tent that served as rain protection over their chairs.
The Vanamans, marking their fourth visit at the Fourth of July bash, played cards, relaxed and chatted with their friend from California who is visiting.
“My experience with the weather is what Mark Twain said, ‘If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes,” Kimberly Vanaman said shortly after 2 p.m. “We’ve been watching the weather (the past few days), and it can rain when it says 15% chance, and it cannot rain when it says 80%. We’ve got it covered.”
The pandemic canceled the Boston Pops concert and fireworks display in 2020, and then a year later, Tanglewood in the Berkshires held a scaled-down event. The grand spectacle returned to the Esplanade, along the Charles River, last year.
Tuesday marked Keith Lockhart’s 28th year conducting the Boston Pops, and he said he doesn’t know how to spend the holiday any other way.
The Pops held a dress rehearsal Monday with the performance being recorded just in case Tuesday’s wet weather caused a cancellation.
“I love crazy people,” Lockhart told reporters. “There are people in this crowd – the Red, White and Blue Crew – who have been coming longer than I have been doing it. It’s really amazing to see their commitment to the event.”
Spending the holiday at the Esplanade is a tradition for many, including the Duggan family from Wareham.
Joe Duggan, 64, and his three grandchildren ate snacks, played on their phones, talked and built connections with new friends as they got to the Esplanade at 10 a.m. Monday, more than 24 hours before gates opened.
“You can watch it on TV … TV doesn’t do it justice,” said Duggan, making his 20th visit. “When you hear the 1812 Overture it’s all about the 1812 … I like singing along. It’s about being here live, to do it.”
He has been coming to the celebration along the Charles with grandchildren for so long that he pushed his grandson Patrick in a stroller over a dozen years ago. Years later, Patrick, 16, drove the family in on Monday.
“It’s really fun,” Patrick said. “I look forward to it every year. I like the atmosphere, it’s a good vibe.”
