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Ashe County Park was teeming with people by mid-afternoon on
Saturday, July 4, as thousands of people
filled the park to enjoy music, children's rides and a wrestling
battle between Adolf Hitler and Uncle Sam.
It all led up to the moment that everyone was waiting for, and
shortly after 9:30 p.m. the park's annual fireworks show was
underway.
Joe Boccardy, director of Ashe County Parks and Recreation,
said that between 5,000 and 6,000 attended the event. Many parked
their cars on the grounds of the park, while hundreds more parked
at the Ashe County Courthouse in Jefferson and rode over on
vehicles provided by the Ashe County Transit Authority and Ashe
County High School.
"We heard a lot of good comments," Boccardy said after
the event. He noted that the "kid-friendly" wrestling
show produced by 13th Floor Productions was also a hit.
"The weather was wonderful and people respected the park
a lot," Boccardy said. Park staff members were cleaning
up until approximately 3 a.m., but Boccardy noted that when
the sun rose on Sunday the park "really wasn't that trashed."
Boccardy also commended the Ashe County Board of Commissioners
for their help with the celebration. He wished "a big thank
you to the commissioners for continuing to put this on, because
there are a lot of municipalities that have cancelled their
fireworks show."
The park is set to host the second annual High Country Throwdown
the weekend of July 11 and 12, and will host the 39th Annual
Bluegrass and Old-time Music Festival the weekend of July 31
to Aug. 1.
To find out more about upcoming events or the park, call Ashe
County Parks and Recreation at (336) 982-6185 or click to www.ashecountygov.com/ParksandRec/index.htm.
-Joel Frady
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