Family, fireworks and fanfare

FOURTH OF JULY
Annual Picnic with the Pops draws an appreciative crowd

By Brady Gillihan 349-1420 | bgillihan@heraldt.com
June 30, 2007

BLOOMINGTON — The 11th annual Bloomington summer institution Picnic with the Pops was back Saturday evening on the Ivy Tech Community College grounds.

Usually held on the Fourth of July, this year’s picnic was held instead on Saturday, since the actual holiday falls midweek. Tickets were $10 for adults, $5 for children, and kids under 5 were allowed in free.

Once in, families enjoyed a children’s parade, fireworks, a military color guard and salute to the armed forces and appearances by the Rise and Shine Cloggers and soprano Tracy Thomas, in addition to patriotic music performed by the Bloomington Pops Orchestra. There was pre-concert music from the Akento “Spirit of Freedom” Jazz Quintet and the Bloomington Community Band.

Special to this year’s show was an orchestral tribute to the music of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, said Pops general manager Kathleen Romy. “People might want to break out their disco shoes,” she said before the tribute.

Romy said the overcast weather was perfect. “You don’t really want sunny, too hot.” She said. “Cloudy without rain is ideal.”

Pete Rogers was standing in line with his wife, Brandi, and their three children a few minutes before the gate opened at 5 p.m. He was one of 3,000 expected in the audience. According to Rogers, fireworks were only one reason the family has attended the last three years.

“We always catch the lake fireworks, too. But this isn’t just fireworks, as you can hear and see. My wife loves the music, I like the food and the kids love the kid stuff,” Rogers said. “It’s 40 bucks to get in now, since my son is older, but where else could you get all this at once?”

For the kids, there was a climbing wall, a large inflated slide, and a magic show from 7 to 7:30 p.m. put on by Extreme Magic.

Zach Rogers, 7 and the youngest of the Rogers clan, pointed to the climbing wall. “That’s what I want to do. After that, I just want to hear the cannons.”

Zach was referring to the several howitzers lined up and waiting for soldiers from the locally based 150th Field Artillery to fire during the show’s finale, the playing of the 1812 Overture.

Romy said the slogan for the event — Family, Friends, Food, Fun & Fireworks — should also include a plug about the fantastic music. “And of course we have food vendors for those people who don’t bring a picnic basket.”