Thousands of area residents flowed into Comanche Trail Park Thursday to witness the annual Independence Day celebration, which started with the high-energy music of Vocal Trash and ended with one of this area's largest-ever fireworks shows.
Even Mother Nature lent a helping hand. Showers moved through Howard County earlier Thursday, but the skies cleared by the time Pops got under way.
“Mother Nature toyed with us a bit, but everything looks great now,” said Jan Hansen, committee chairperson for the event.
With rain not a concern, the audience's attention turned to the things that have made Pops such a popular event the past several years — music and food mixed with a generous portion of patriotism.
The red, white and blue of the U.S. flag was much in evidence Thursday night, from small flags held by children to the huge 40-foot banner flying from atop a crane near the amphitheater.
But the most dramatic appearance of Old Glory came about 8 p.m., when Pops officials unveiled this year's “secret attraction” — skydiver Ron Shipp paraglided over the amphitheater with a flag in tow, before landing at the adjacent golf course.
As impressive as the stunt was for the crowd, it was equally as fun for Shipp.
“As a child, everybody has dreamed of flying. Well, I actually get to do that,” said Shipp, who jumps for Mark Schlatter Skydiving in Dallas. “Stepping out of an airplane is a little nerve-wracking, but after five years and 1,300 jumps, I felt pretty comfortable out there.”
He admitted, however, that towing a large U.S. flag (equipped with a 30-pound weight, no less) made the jump more of a challenge.
“Flying a parachute is usually as easy as riding a bicycle,” he said. “But with the extra equipment I was carrying ... I had to be careful.”
The crowd barely had time to settle back into their seats before the show's main attraction — the Big Spring Symphony and Chorale — took the stage.
Under the baton of Director Keith Graumann, the symphony delivered its usual array of patriotic and popular music, mixing “Stars and Stripes Forever” and “America the Beautiful” with a medley of Broadway favorites.
And, like the proverbial cherry on top of the sundae, the fireworks show capped the evening in high style.
Committee members spend months planning for and countless man-hours preparing the event, but near-flawless shows like Thursday night make it all worthwhile, Hansen said.
“Starting in February, we met once a month and in May, we began meeting weekly,” she said. “When you're doing it — planning for it, setting everything up — you're tired, but when you see the final design and you know how much everyone enjoyed it, it makes you feel good that you did something for your community.”
Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331 ext. 234 or by e-mail at
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