The Jaycees have held a carnival before the July Fourth holiday sicne the 1960s.
The sun peeked out from behind the clouds just as the last day of the East Longmeadow Jaycees Summer Carnival was firing up rides and the band was starting to play.
“It is great seeing everyone coming out and having a good time especially in a bad economy,” said Max Davis, of Longmeadow.
He had gone to the event with his family Saturday night but his young daughter fell asleep and missed most of it. They decided to return for the rides and fireworks on Sunday, Davis said.
East Longmeadow is one of the communities which celebrate July 4 in a big way. The four-day carnival ended Sunday night with rain-or-shine fireworks and then at 10 a.m., Monday one of the largest Fourth of July parades will step off from Birchland Park Middle School.
But the town isn’t alone. Springfield’s annual Fourth of July celebration will go on as usual at Riverfront Park, despite the fact the area was damaged by the June 1 tornado. The event will start at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by the Dan Kane Singers and a children’s chorus. The largest fireworks display in Western Massachusetts will start at 9:30 p.m.
That event, called the Star Spangled Springfield is organized by Spirit of Springfield.
Amherst will also celebrate the holiday with a variety of events such as a corn husking contest and entertainment by the Amherst Community Band behind Alumni Stadium on the University of Massachusetts campus. It culminates at 9:30 p.m. with fireworks.
West Springfield will celebrate on the town common from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a chicken dinner served by the Unico Club and a variety of performances.
East Longmeadow Jaycees has been holding its carnival from June 29 through July 3 annually since the 1960s. Once it moved it to different dates only to be bombarded with complaints.
“We had people telling us we ruined their Fourth of July. We moved it back the next year,” said Maureen M. Basile, of East Longmeadow, a former chapter president for the Jaycees.
Then the Jaycees realized the carnival, full of games, rides, music and food, had become part of many people’s holiday, she said.
“It is a traditional, all-American night out for everyone,” she said.
Even before the carnival opened at 6 p.m., people were streaming through the gates. By the time fireworks started an estimated 30,000 people had gathered around the area.
Matt Martin and Joel Clay, both 13, came early to check out some of the games. They planned to stay for a while, then go to a friend’s house and return later for the fireworks.
“It’s fun ... all the rides and the games,” Martin said.
As is tradition, the East Longmeadow All-Stars gathered to entertain before and during the fireworks. The band is made up of members of a variety of different bands, including the four members of the Opie Reid Band. This year there were a total of 11 members of the group, said Greg Trelease, a drummer and one of the organizers.
The extra members allow the group to play music they typically cannot while playing with a smaller group.
“Because we are from town our neighbors and kids come and this gives them a chance to see us old farts play,” he said.