Advertisement
Published: June 22nd 2017
Boston July 4th fireworks!
A small sample of one of the largest shows in the countryToday was Independence Day. Happy Birthday United States! Those who know their history know the
Declaration of Independence was
actually approved on July 2nd, but it was not released to the public until two days later, hence everyone celebrating the holiday on the 4
th.
Normally, I know exactly what I’d be doing today. I’d gather food, lots of water, a book or two, and head to the Esplanade to claim a spot for the concert and fireworks. Seemingly every person in the Boston area has the same idea, leading to big crowds and a long wait. The earliest arrivals appear around dawn! Naturally, it all becomes a big party with many people attending with family and friends and hanging out all day. My group of MIT graduates has done this in some form for four decades now.
Today, however, was not a normal holiday. Every July 4
th, a tug pulls the
USS Constitution around Boston Harbor for its
annual turnaround cruise. With the ship being the star of Harborfest this year, the turnaround should be extra special. My fireworks crew holds some spots for late arrivals (more on that later) so I had time to see the ship. This turned out to be a very good decision.
The cruise reaches its halfway point at an old fort on
Castle Island, which is no longer an island, at the easternmost point of South Boston. Parking here is normally a nightmare. Thankfully, the MBTA anticipated this and ran a shuttle from the nearest subway stop. It was crowded.
The fort has a commanding view of this part of the harbor. The very best view is from the fort itself. I quickly discovered those spots were reserved for veterans. Instead, I found patch of grass in front near some howitzers and settled in to wait. For at least an hour, nothing happened.
Finally, a fireboat appeared spraying high in the air. A few minutes later the
USCGS Eagle appeared followed by the Constitution. Both turned to face the fort. The Constitution then fired a single cannon shot across the water. The Eagle responded with one of her own. Constitution then fired another, creating what appeared to be a really slow naval battle. Each ship fired twenty one shots in total, in effect a 21 gun salute.
Immediately afterward,
those howitzers near me came to life! The crews produced their own 21 gun salute to the Constitution. Seeing them fired from
close range was amazing, but also painfully loud! I wonder how the soldiers don’t go deaf. In my case, all I could do was wrap my head in my ground cloth and try not to recoil from the pain.
We then got a different roar, a low flyover by the
Blue Angels. They flew their classic flying wedge, planes so close they appeared seconds away from colliding. The wedge split, with two planes doing a second flyover of the fort and another heading for the crowds already waiting on the Esplanade. After this, the tugs finished turning the USS Constitution and headed back to port. I headed for the Esplanade.
WARNING: The arrangements for the July 4
th Boston Pops concert change every year, particularly the security arrangements. While this blog accurately reflects my experience, it likely has no relation to what will happen in any future year. Before going, always read up on the event at the
official site.
The Boston Pops concert happens at a band shell called the Hatch Shell, which exists on the eastern end of a long park along the Charles River called the
Esplanade. At the end of the concert, a barge in the
Mortar fire
Also part of a 21 gun salute river shoots a long fireworks show, which ranks as one of the
five largest in the United States. This show is very popular. In fact, two of five largest classical audiences in history have been for the Pops on July 4
th.
I find it painful that attendees must essentially chose one or the other. The Hatch Shell area is surrounded by trees, meaning those that see the concert can’t see the fireworks and vice versa. The organizers once set up video screens to watch the TV broadcast in a few spots , but they no longer do so. Most of the audience chooses the fireworks, since the concert can be heard from sound towers throughout the area.
The most important thing an attendee needs to do, and the thing most newcomers get wrong, is
finding a spot to spend the day. Many people assume that since fireworks shoot high in the air, any spot along the river bank will do. This is not the case. The river acts as a natural safety barrier, so the fireworks shoot high and low, creating a wall of light rising above the barge.
The best viewing spots have an unobstructed view of the barge and air above it. All of them fall
Blue Angels
The famous flying wedge fly over within the safety zone that runs from shore to shore around the barge, guaranteeing no boats block the view. It’s also important to be in front of any trees. Finally, if choosing a spot behind the main walkway, expect to stand up throughout the show. Late arrivals pack into the walkway like sardines, effectively restricting the view of those behind them who have waited for hours. People hate this, but can’t do anything about it.
As the day wears on, the park becomes increasingly crowded. Close to sunset, things get so packed that movement becomes impossible. Plan on completing all activities, including last minute bathroom breaks, before it gets dark. I witnessed an incident once where someone craved a pizza about an hour before dusk. They collected orders and left to buy some pies. The place got so crowded over that next hour that they never made it back!
The first part this year was pretty much as expected. I spent much time catching up with people (some I see only at this event), playing games, and relaxing in the sun. Given that this is a crowd of MIT graduates, the games slated toward geeky classics like
Apples to Apples Green Building lights
Patriotic engineering hack before the fireworks started and
Fluxx. I’m not complaining.
Late in the afternoon, the sky clouded over and the wind picked up. State police then came on the sound system with bad news: imminent thunderstorms! These are genuinely dangerous, due to both wind and electrocution risk. The police urged people to evacuate. In our section of veteran attendees, of course, we did none of that. We pulled on the rain ponchos we brought after checking the forecast last night, moved away from the water and light poles, and carried on as normal. The storms ultimately passed to the north, but remember this incident for later.
After the sun set, we got a treat. Our section of the Esplanade sits directly across from MIT’s famous Green Building. Designed by I M Pei (a fellow MIT graduate!), the building is tall and thin with windows in long columns. A group had turned those windows into
light-up pixels and proceeded to play Tetris. This was not the first time something like this had been done on a college campus, but this was certainly the largest audience for it. This stunt required impressive engineering too.
The concert started soon afterward. I personally find it anticlimactic at
Opening
Start of the Boston Pops fireworks this point, since I saw it all the night before. The first part was identical to last night, with one annoying difference. Last night the Pops played the program straight through. Tonight, we got many breaks for commercials. In one of these the Pops played an orchestral version of Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond, which is
famous locally due to being played at Red Sox games. Some people around me sang along to this one.
At the conclusion of the 1812 Overture, we got a short burst of fireworks. This was only a teaser. Then the rains came! Now was about the worst time for it, because the park was now so packed that people had no place to move. Even worse, event regulations required all shelters and tarps to come down at dusk. Those of us who prepared just put on our ponchos and waited. Everyone else tried to cover up as best they could, including under tarps now on the ground.
The Pops delayed the concert until the rain stopped. They had to, because rain can ruin instruments. CBS likely ran footage from last night to cover the gap. When the concert finally resumed, the Pops cut everything except the national anthem, Jennifer Hudson, and
Chrysanthenums
Beautiful large fireworks caught in action the Stars and Stripes forever to keep things to the TV schedule. Those present missed at least a quarter of the show.
During the Stars and Stripes Forever, the Green Building came to life again. Now, it was all blocky graphics in various patterns, semi-synchronized to the music. They resolved into an American flag just as the fireworks started. Nice work.
As the last music faded away, the fireworks launched in earnest. Many people waited a long time for this show, so it had better deliver. It always does. The show forms a supreme example of artistic fireworks, where different shells are shot in precise patterns choreographed to music. They light up the sky and river, and some are bright enough to light up the buildings behind. Since the river acts as a natural safety barrier, the audience can get closer than many similar sized shows.
Like most years, practically every fireworks type in existence showed up at some point. Enormous bursts with multiple layers appeared that looked like sunflowers. Long cascading fireworks looked like weeping willows, always done to a slow song. We got long streamers with starburst above. At one point, the barge launched balloons
Weeping willows
Fireworks waterfalls with fireworks hanging below, and rockets that shot fireworks out the back. Twice, we got fireworks so bright the people around me cast visible shadows.
As noted above, the designers heavily featured low-hanging fireworks due to the safety barrier of the river. I always find these a treat. Low streamers shot across the barge creating fireworks that looked like ribbons. Guns at multiple points shot long bursts, turning the river into a naval battle. Many times these were combined with strobes and bursts high above.
One of professional fireworks dirty little secrets is that shows will still work in the rain. Fireworks shows get postponed in bad weather due to the wind. We got to see that little secret on full display when the skies opened up again and the show just kept going. Those without a poncho handy proceeded to get soaked. Veteran attendees like me, of course (who had a waterproof camera in addition to the poncho) barely noticed. During this downburst, someone in our group dropped the best quip of the night: “This is Sergeant Anderson of the Massachusetts State Police. Storms have been reported in the area…”
Many fireworks shows now end by
Finale start
Bright enough to light up the river shooting strobe fireworks faster and faster until they light up the sky. Tonight’s ending took things a step further by shooting huge starbursts that broke into strobe dots. These flashed faster and faster until they formed an enormous wall almost to the limit of vision. With that, the show was over. Seeing this show close up was a thrilling experience, and worth every second of the time needed to secure the spot.
Someone has posted a full video:
Leaving afterward has always been a pain. The time is close to midnight, and many people want to leave at once. Given the park’s limited exits, that leads to incredible crowding, long lines, and short tempers. Our group tries to wait and clean the site before leaving, to avoid the worst of the crowds. This year was about average in that department; at least the rain finally stopped.
Once at the subway, things went from bad to far worse. Boston’s subway system simply can’t handle the crowds that attend the show. I hiked from the closest station to the next one hoping things would improve. They didn’t. The station was packed worse than a sardine
Finale!
Fireworks light up the night at the end of the show can. A few trains later I finally got on, and barely had space to breathe. I got home long after midnight. Good thing I planned ahead and took tomorrow off, or work would be a nightmare. I’ll still go again, like everyone else in Boston, no questions asked.
(LATE UPDATE)
I still find it hard to believe that this blog marked an eulogy for our gatherings. This year turned out to be my group's last. After the
Boston Marathon bombings the following April, State Police greatly increased security restrictions for the concert, with a long list of prohibited items. With the increased hassle and long lines, attending in person simply wasn't worth it any longer. I still watch the show, but through a
livestream now. Those many previous years will be missed.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.128s; Tpl: 0.022s; cc: 15; qc: 31; dbt: 0.0343s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Perfect photo
Percision