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By Cameron Small
Hometown Weekly Intern
People bedecked in various shades of red, white, and blue stand waving their arms over their heads. Others wave one hand overhead and shout into a cell-phone clutched in the other, trying to make themselves stand out from the hundreds of other people doing the exact same thing. Kids run around with a fistful of glow sticks in one hand and a paper cone with cotton candy on top in the other, tripping over carefully placed blankets and chairs. Loud music blasts full volume out of speakers, except for the time in between songs when children who strayed too far from their parents try to be reunited. Every so often, a balloon makes a desperate bid for freedom and floats away, much to the duress of the small child who failed to hold on tightly enough. Anticipation builds as the clear, blue sky becomes streaked with oranges and pinks before fading to the dark blue of twilight. Cheers go up as the last light of day fades and everyone sings a song - no one agreeing on a key - that would make any music devotee cringe. And then….. pffft… a few seconds pause… BOOM.
The explosion resulted in even louder cheers and applause.
It’s not a gathering of a mythic cult, where people dress similarly and sing and set things on fire. It is the Needham Exchange Club’s traditional July 4 fireworks on July 3.
If the the Battle of Lexington and Concord (which is recognized as the first battle of the American Revolutionary War) had the “Shot Heard ’Round the World,” the Needham fireworks should be the “Shots Heard ’Round Norfolk County” as people flocked to Memorial Park from the surrounding towns, including but not limited to Medfield, Dover, and Wellesley. One local family had friends from Rhode Island visiting.
During the firework show, people chatted away. “Those were big ones.”
“I like the ones that—you know,” with some hand gestures unseen in the dark.
One irreverent child yelled “Thanks, China.”
“Why China?” asked an incredulous adult.
“Gunpowder,” came the reply.
After the show ended, Hannah Clifford, 22, of Needham said “They literally get bigger and better every year.” Clifford’s been coming to the Needham Fireworks since she was one. “I’ve seen other fireworks, and nothing compares to Needham’s,” she adds. “There’s a nostalgia to it, since I’ve come here since I was a baby. I love seeing young families coming and keeping the tradition alive.”
The Needham Exchange Club, which hosts the Fourth of July festivities every year, relies on donations to produce the fireworks. Donations can be made online through their website or in person outside Memorial Park at various points.
