Each year, many Americans put aside their differences to enjoy beer, barbecue and the beginning of a nation.
Patriotic festivities spanned across the week of July 4 in Alachua County, bringing a host of people with differing backgrounds and opinions.
Despite the searing heat and humidity, the City of Alachua’s 24th annual Fourth of July celebration drew crowds of thousands.
Boasting the “Largest Small-Town Fireworks Display in America,” the festivities at Legacy Park brought eager onlookers decked out in red, white and blue outfits. The fireworks display exploded into action at 9:30 p.m.
Johnnie Godbolt-Jones, a 70-year-old Alachua resident and retired UF employee, enjoys watching people from all over the state flock to her typically quiet small town.
“It’s just the best because usually it rains,” Godbolt-Jones said. “There’s no rain today. It’s a good day.”
Alongside this year’s cherished celebration comes an election year and a tumultuous international stage.
Just two in five Americans say they are “extremely proud” to be American, a statistic that has remained within the ranges of 38% to 43% according to Gallup polls.
Alachua County residents conveyed their thoughts on this year’s Fourth of July.
Alyssa Swanson, a 24-year-old Gainesville resident who showed up to the festivities for people-watching, said the holiday felt like it was “just like another Fourth of July,” and didn’t “feel patriotic or anything.”
On July 6, hundreds of patriotic vendors and longtime Gainesville residents gathered to enjoy live music, and an impressive fireworks show 1.5 miles west of the Santa Fe College Davis Center.
Among those in attendance was Jaelyn Robinson, a 30-year-old business owner who sold barbequed food at the event.
“It’s like a birthday celebration,” Robinson said. “Instead of us pulling out the candles, we light up fireworks.”
When asked if there were any negatives to the Fourth of July, she had a simple response.
“The heat,” Robinson said.
Contact Carlos Alemany at calemany@alligator.org and Bonny Matejowsky at bmatejowsky@alligator.org. Follow them on X @close_alemany and @bonnymatejowsky
Carlos Alemany is a fourth year political science student and the Alligator's 2024 Criminal Justice Reporter. In his free time, you you may catch him thrifting or sketching in Gainesville.
Bonny Matejowsky is a fourth-year journalism major and editor of The Avenue. When she’s not writing, you can find her delicately crafting a Pinterest board or at a local thrift store.
