By William Wemer on July 6, 2009 2:27 PM
"There's nothing quite like the Fourth of July in Boston."
That's what all my friends who have lived in this area for years kept telling me in the lead up to this past weekend's Independence Day celebrations. I was, of course, a little skeptical. I admit, I have fallen head-over-heels in love with Boston since moving here last fall. But while I knew I could expect a great show, somehow I didn't think it could compete with the shows I've seen in Washington DC and Philadelphia in years past.
Our day started at 3 PM when we took the train down to the Esplanade: a thin, long stretch of grassy land right along the Charles River. We picnicked, while admiring the great skylines of Boston and Cambridge, listened to some awesome music, played cards, and enjoyed the gorgeous Massachusetts afternoon. Around 8 PM, the world-famous Boston Pops began their live set of music, including a rendition of the 1812 Overture, set to fireworks. Being the out-of-towner, I thought that was the highlight of the night...little did I know the best was yet to come.
Neil Diamond then took the stage down at the end of the Esplanade, delivering awesome renditions of his two hit songs "Sweet Caroline" and "Coming to America"...where nearly all 200,000 people lining the Charles sung along to (if you don't know the lyrics to "Sweet Caroline", you may want to learn them before going to a Red Sox game, you'll thank me later...).
Finally, at 10:30 PM, the most spectacular fifteen minutes of fireworks I have ever seen commenced, complete with coordinated music, and awestruck crowd members. The night was simply perfect.
For those of you considering a move to Boston, this is a weekend you'll want to stay in town for. I learned firsthand: there is nothing quite like the Fourth in Boston.
Leave a comment