Few holidays seem to hold memories quite like the Fourth of July. For some, it brings back the smell of barbecue smoke drifting through the yard, the crackle of fireworks after dark or the sight of children running barefoot with sparklers in hand. For others, it is a reminder of family gathered under flags, small-town celebrations, lake days, parades and long summer nights spent with neighbors and friends. This year, community members shared some of their favorite Fourth of July memories — snapshots of joy, tradition and the moments that made Independence Day special through the years.
DRUMRIGHT “I was born and raised in Nebraska, and we always shot the fireworks with my aunt, usually she made homemade ice cream, lived out in the country out on a ranch – I miss that,” said Diane.
“Me and my brothers, we would shoot each other with them [bottle rocket fireworks], and one time, my brother, he, like, got me right here, like behind my ear, and it burnt my hair – it was so fun, and then I got him in the neck,” said Alyssa Rusco.
MANNFORD “I like to go swimming, and smoke bombs,” said Mars (like the planet).
“So, we started this business [Doyle’s Fusion Fireworks] in 2006 to bring our family closer together,” said Jo Raye Knight. “And over the past 20 years, I feel we’ve done that, and being able to sell fireworks, and bring joy to other families with fireworks has been something we’ve enjoyed for the past 20 years.” “Homemade ice cream and hamburgers on the grill,” said Janna Haley.
“It’s just a time to get with family and get to have fun with the kids and fireworks, and all of that,” said Sarah Stonecipher. “I love the 4th of July, so red, white and blue and fireworks are the way to go. I try to find all the fireworks shows, and we go town to town and show to show, trying to find all the shows that we can get.”
“Every year, we have a big party at my dad’s house for my daughter, it’s my daughter’s favorite holiday, and so we call it Claire Extravagenza, and we do hot dogs and hamburgers and do little drawings and prizes and stuff like that,” said Carol Cramer. “She makes all the decorations, so that’s what I’m excited for.”
“My favorite memory is shucking corn under my grandpa’s tree,” said Lisa Robinson. “We put up corn every year for the 4th of July.”
“It’s probably seeing my grandkids watch the firecracker displays that they have here,” said Debbie Camtrell.
“Just going to the fireworks show,” said Stephanie Thurnan.
“When I first moved to Manford in the early 90s, we used to have a friend that took us out on Lake Keystone during the fourth,” said Chris Greenert. “And we got to watch the old fireworks from Pier 51, while we’re out in the middle of the lake, being in a boat, up here [the sky] nothing but lights, the water nothing but lights, it was the coolest thing.”
CLEVELAND “I love the 4th of July, because I love the family time,” said Jeana Settlemire. “I love watching my grandkids with the excitement of seeing all the colors, and the expression in the sky, when you know, they set off the fireworks, and I just really truly, just love that fact that it’s family time. My entire family loves it.”
“I guess my favorite memory was when my kids were there, and my son had picked a little bear [firework] that spun in circles, and the funny thing is, we had it on a piece of wood out in the front yard, probably from here to the front door from the house, and no sooner did it finish – it tipped over and caught the house on fire,” said Rachel Simmons. “It was funny, because it was my daughter’s bedroom, and we put it out before it burnt the house, but it was funny by the end of it.”
“God has given us a country that we are just very blessed and free to worship, and very so many men and women have fought for that freedom, that would be huge for me, I'm of Lebanese descent, and so just to come here and just to know that has been amazing,” said Deana Fergusmn. “It's always been a fun family time. We got around at the pool, and our kids put on a little – and grandkids are doing it now – little patriotic parade for us, and get their bikes all decorated, and swim, and eat watermelon, and just pop fireworks, and just, just celebrate just the goodness of God in the country that He's given us.”
SAND SPRINGS “It would probably be my friends and I climbing the roof downtown, there was like this randomly tall building, and we watched the fireworks from there, and we ate sushi,” said Lydia.
“It’s like time to be around your family, and it's, yeah, it's like amazing, like it's Independence Day, or whatever, but I just think it's like more so like getting to be together, being with our friends and our family,” said Lilly Brown. “And like being around – I have a bunch of like cousins and a bunch of family, so we always like swim, and then we pop fireworks at night, like with like the little kids, and so it's just a lot of fun, and like I like seeing like the glow on their faces and thinking back like how I used to feel and where I used to see the fireworks go the first time. So I just like that part of it.”
“I like going to the lake with family, and watching the fireworks show and shooting them off,” said Tara Henderson. “It’s like our tradition.”
“As kids – we don’t do it as much anymore, because all of us are grown and have our own kids – we used to like, go out to our aunt’s house and we would just have a big family pool party, and it’d be just the time for all of us to hang out,” said Brittney Mendoza.
“So, my husband’s birthday is the 4th of July, so we have a shrimp boil every year, and that is the best part plus the fireworks,” said Natalie Crawford.