Let's face it, with gasoline pushing $5 a gallon, the best vacation this year might just be a "staycation".  That doesn't mean you can't have an incredible Independence Day this year. This is my first 4th of July in San Angelo. Looking over the downtown San Angelo holiday plans, it certainly would seem to have everything that you would find in much bigger cities.

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In fact, this year's San Angelo Independence Day celebration, truly captures the spirit of not only our country as a whole, but the very unique quality of San Angelo. This is the second annual  "A Star Spangled Banner Concert and Firework" show. Even though last year's event was a huge success, there will be many amazing improvement.

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Photo by Mark Williams on Unsplash
Photo by Mark Williams on Unsplash
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All the action this year takes place on  Sunday, July 3rd and is centered around the Bill Aylor, Jr. Memorial River Stage. Gates will open at noon and general admission is free. "Cooking for Christ" will be grilling hotdogs and hamburgers and there will be plenty of delicious peach ice cream produced by  Arctic N7 Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Company to people who purchase a VIP table for eight.

Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash
Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash
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The concert performances begin with the 8-piece Mariachi Alma Mexicana of San Angelo. Right before the fireworks show, the San Angelo Community Band will perform the popular 1812 Overture.  After the fireworks, the music of Chicago will be performed by Chicago Tribute Authority complete with the big horn section sounds that characterized so many of Chicago's biggest hits.

 

The fireworks display will begin at 9:05pm during the 1812 Overture, when cannons from Fort Concho, situated across the river from the River Stage, will fire in unison with key points in the Overture. This year the fireworks will be fired from both The Celebration Bridge and the Oakes Stree bridge making the fireworks display bigger.  The pyrotechnics will be engineered by Greg "Fly" Schatt,who is known for his shows during the San Angelo Rodeo.

 

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