Nighttime was the right time for Pine Bluff’s annual fireworks show over Lake Saracen, even if the lingering heat was still angry from the daytime.
With the mercury at 91 degrees just before 8 p.m., there was hardly an early rush for drivers to pick their parking spots to see 18 1/2 minutes of red glare and bursts of other colors liven up the downtown sky and make the reflection of the water dance.
Peter and Leigha Lowe brought their eight children, ages 16 years to 8 months, from Woodlawn to check out the show on an Independence Day when the heat reached 96.1 degrees at Grider Field Airport with a heat index of 110, according to the National Weather Service.
“We stayed inside for the most part,” said Peter Lowe, an Indianapolis native who is an office manager at Alleguard in Monticello. “There were a few times the kids tried to get out there and swing and slide, but it was just too hot.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Most of the kids rock-skipped in the hour before the main event. Meanwhile some early birds set off their own firecrackers at the Landing — even though using them within city limits is prohibited unless it’s part of the city-sponsored display.
Saracen Landing was full just in time for the 9 p.m. spectacular. The Lowes left pleased, the heat of the night notwithstanding.
“It was good. The kids liked it,” Peter Lowe said. “We enjoyed the night. It was still hot, but it was good to spend time with the family.
Relief is on the way for Pine Bluff. A 50% chance of thunderstorms with a high of 90 and low of 71 is forecast for today. The next three days call for no greater than 91 degrees with a chance of thunderstorms and showers Sunday and Monday.
Two bangs of fireworks go off simultaneously over Lake Saracen in Pine Bluff on Thursday, July 4, 2024. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
