HARRISBURG, Pa. — The night sky was made bright across the Capital City, as the Harrisburg Food Truck and Fireworks Festival ended with a bang.
Hours before the firework show, people tried to secure the best seat along Riverfront Park, by setting up chairs, blankets, and tents.
“We just wanted to have a fun day and get a great view of the fireworks tonight," said Stephanie Paton, who set up a tent with her family and friends five hours before the fireworks show.
“I think it’s very beautiful, especially with the light reflecting [off the water,]" said Evan Johnson. "It’s just so nice and beautiful.”
While hundreds of people set up seats along Riverfront Park, a fleet of pontoon boats set off in the Susquehanna River. Sue Cartwright, who has owned her boat with her husband for 28 years, says it's a yearly tradition for the pair to watch the fireworks from the water.
“It’s a totally different experience than being on land," said Cartwright. "Not only do you get the lights that reflect off the water, but you also get the reverberation of the noise.”
Over on City Island, a crew from Bixler Pyrotechnics in Schuylkill County worked tirelessly to set up the fireworks display.
“There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into getting our fireworks display ready," said Courtney Ranck-Cameron, special events manager for the City of Harrisburg.
Ranck-Cameron added that the firework show takes months of planning. She says the pyrotechnic crews use special computer software to help design the display.
“There are over 1,800 shells that will be shot off tonight," explained Ranck-Cameron. "Each one needs to be programmed precisely for when they will be launched in the display.”
The hours of planning and building all culminated into a show that helped create lasting memories for families across Harrisburg.