turn out to celebrate July 4|[07/05/07]

Instead of rain, clouds above Vicksburg provided a backdrop for the rockets’ red glare as at least 7,500 people celebrated America’s birthday.

A drizzle and cool breeze may have actually helped Wednesday’s Independence Day culmination in downtown Vicksburg.

The rain, which began just before festivities were set to begin at 7 p.m., dropped the temperature to a comfortable 79 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Jackson.

Robert Smith said it was his fifth year attending what has become a Vicksburg tradition. After many years of tepid observations through the 1980s, Vicksburg has been pulling out all the stops in recent years and now offers days of events culminating in a $50,000 extravaganza of music followed by fireworks launched above the Yazoo Diversion Canal at City Front.

The rain delayed the musical part of the show &#8220about 10 minutes,” said Larry Gawronski, executive director of the Vicksburg Convention Center and Auditorium.

Ed Sullivan impersonator Bob Rumba opened the show, attempting to take the crowd back to the days of the British Invasion by warming up the crowd for the Liverpool Legends, a Beatles tribute band organized by Louise Harrison, sister of Beatle lead guitarist George Harrison.

The faux Fab Four bore an uncanny resemblance to the original Beatles in both sound and appearance. Their rendition of &#8220Yesterday” had a few couples in the crowd slow dancing, and nearly everyone – young and old alike – was on their feet for &#8220Twist and Shout.”

&#8220I think this is great” said James Anderson of Vicksburg who was enjoying the show with his wife, Tonya, and their infant daughter.

A few families created their own premium seating. &#8220We kind of cheated a little bit,” said Chris Gillis. He and his family were enjoying the band in chairs set up in the back of their pickup parked on Grove Street. Several other families nearby followed suit. More onlookers lined the sidewalk along Grove Street, watching the concert below. Others filled bleachers set up along Washington Street.

The crowd continued to swell through the evening to an estimated 7,500 by the time the fireworks began just after 9 p.m., said Gawronski.

&#8220I am extremely happy,” with the attendance, Gawronski said after the show.

&#8220It’s a very hearty crowd – they just weathered the rain,” although he acknowledged that the weather may have kept some people away. He said previous years with no rain saw the crowd swell to nearly 10,000.

Attendance at last year’s celebration, which featured the Mississippi Symphony Holiday Orchestra, was estimated at 5,000 and showers then were enough to prompt a rain delay. Also last year, rain-soaked speaker cables caused the festival’s main sound system to short out, prompting the hasty setup of a smaller, portable system. No such problems occurred this year, however.

The show was free and open to the public. More than 100 volunteers worked to keep the show running smoothly, said Gawronski. The $50,000 price tag was paid for entirely by local private sponsors and the City of Vicksburg.

The rain – which returned as a barely noticeable drizzle as departing cars clogged downtown streets – came around 10 p.m., but people were still happy.

&#8220It was fabulous,” said Vicksburg resident Brenda Shaw following the nearly half-hour fireworks display at City Front.

Earlier events included Civil War demonstrations at the Vicksburg National Military Park and a performance by the 41st Mississippi National Guard Army Band.