NEW FRANKLIN, Ohio — Happy Birthday America!
Celebrations are taking place across the country, from huge metropolises to small towns.
One of the finest in Ohio is in the Portage Lakes area just south of Akron.
Things kicked off in New Franklin as the city held an old fashioned community picnic. Mayor Paul Adamson hosted the event at the Tudor House, a beautiful 1920's era property overlooking Turkeyfoot Lake. "We've got 5 acres, lakefront on Portage Lakes, and we've kicked off a variety of family events here."
The ribs and BBQ were provided by Angry BBQ of Massillon and the hot dogs and brats came from Sassy Dog. Add some red, white, and blue bunting and patriotically dressed guests and Bob's your Uncle, it's a party!
There was even a barbershop quartet on hand to sing some old time tunes.
The fireworks itself is Saturday night, starting around 10 p.m., but a word of advice: Get there early.
If you have a boat, you can watch from the water, but the lakes fill up with hundreds of watercraft and with two boat launches, so it can get hectic. There are limited places to park and watch the fireworks too, so please respect parking and private property. The Portage Lakes fireworks attract over ten thousand people to the area, so please, whether you're in a boat or a car, after they're done, be patient. It takes some time to clear out.
Have a wonderful, safe weekend everybody and Happy Birthday America!