Fireworks over Brainerd Lake close out patriotic fesitivities.
By: Josh Appelbaum
Hundreds dotted the field near the baseball diamond at Village Park on Tuesday night and watched as the vivid colors of fireworks exploded in the air and were reflected in the mirror-smooth surface of Brainerd Lake.
The crowd, composed of Cranbury residents and those from the neighboring communities of Plainsboro, West Windsor and Hightstown among others, trickled in to the park around dusk as the sun peaked out over rain clouds.
The Mercer County Symphonic Band set up on the lake’s edge by the gazebo a few minutes after 7 p.m., when the early evening rain stopped and families started setting out plastic tarpaulins, camping chairs and blankets on the lawn.
On the east end of the lake, International Fireworks Manufacturing Co. of Douglassville, Pa., were setting up for the evening’s fireworks show.
"People don’t know how much work goes into this," said Norma Swale, who helped plan the event for the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society.
Tom Witt, Public Works director and acting township administrator, said the display cost the township $7,500. He said Wednesday that it was a close call on whether to postpone the evening’s festivities because of rain.
"It cleared up right before the band was set to perform," Mr. Witt said. "It was 3 percent skill, 97 percent luck that we didn’t cancel it."
Mr. Witt said the annual fireworks display has become a meaningful tradition for Cranbury residents.
"It shows that people in Cranbury are really close-knit," Mr. Witt said. "The whole thing is kind of like a backyard picnic."
Patty Keller and her father, Bill Keller, both of Station Road, packed their beach chairs and umbrellas for the event, which started in 1997 for Cranbury’s Tercentennial celebration.
"We wouldn’t miss it," Mr. Keller said.
"We love it," Ms. Keller said, "but our dog doesn’t like it very much the loud noises."
Many came out for music, including Saiee Shevade and Kayla Hackett, both of Plainsboro. Kayla, who plays piccolo and flute, said she went to the event because it is close and fun.
"I wanted to see fireworks this weekend and the music is pretty good," Kayla said.
The symphonic band, which is based out of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, played patriotic music and American marches. Conductor Louis Woodruff led the band in renditions of John Philip Sousa’s "Washington Post" and "His Honor March," by Henry Fillmore among many others.
Mary Megules, of Hamilton, came out to support some of her friends in the symphonic band, but was taken with the gazebo and Victorian homes that line the south side of the lake.
"This is the first time I’ve been here, and it’s really beautiful," Ms. Megules said. "I feel like I’m in another time."
On the water, people in kayaks and small boats looked on at the musical performance and staked out a good spot for the evening’s fireworks. Several Evans Drive homes hosted parties in their backyards, with clear views over the lake. Residents also streamed out of backyards on Main Street to the Village Park lawn.
Sal Golisano of Prospect Street said the annual concert and fireworks display is very popular among members of his extended family. He said he’s brought relatives from Long Island, N.Y., to the display in the past. He said Cranbury’s fireworks rival any big-town display.
On Tuesday, he brought his sister, brother-in-law and three nieces to the event.
"It’s a great show and it’s great to see the kids’ jaws drop down to their knees," Mr. Golisano said. "The fireworks are 15 minutes of escape."
The event drew lots of youngsters, some of whom organized an impromptu Wiffleball game on the baseball diamond beforehand. Others twirled glow rings, played tag and ate picnic dinners.
Nick Kafasis, a Shadow Oaks resident, has been attending the concert and fireworks consistently since 1997, and said the event offers good music and spectacle for everyone, and brings people together.
"It’s a nice display, but the music makes it," Mr. Kafasis said. "And it’s great to come out and see your neighbors from Cranbury and from other communities."