The Big Bang: Celebrating the 4th with Fireworks
Growing up, our backyard featured a great view of our neighborhood's fireworks extravaganza. We'd have a bbq every year and set out lawn chairs. Everyone would 'ooooh' and 'aaaahhh' over every bang. Nowadays, with our kids, I feel a bit less enthusiastic about watching firework shows on the 4th of July. In fact, fireworks give me great anxiety, but that's a whole other story.
Do you, as a family, do the fireworks thing on the 4th? If you do, where do you go? An urbanMama recently facebooked us:
Where do you go to watch fireworks? We have a 5-year old, and 2 year old twins. We were wanting to go downtown and thinking of taking the MAX, but really don't want to have to go into the large group with all the kiddies. Any other ideas?
Ooh, I'm waiting to hear too! We've been out of town for the past 3 FOJs.
Posted by: Candice Aiston | July 01, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Last year we went to Mount Tabor Park, brought a Pizza and a bottle of wine while the kids ran around. You can see the downtown fireworks but they are a little far away. There were not a lot of people there but a lot a families doing the same thing as us.
Posted by: lisa | July 01, 2009 at 12:07 PM
I don't want to be a crumudgeon, but I hate fireworks of the backyard variety. The professional displays (being discussed so far here) are great but every year our neighborhood sounds like a war zone with everyone setting off bottle rockets and firecrackers. It freaks out the dog and scares my preschooler and I have no idea why anyone thinks it's smart, safe or fun. Am I missing something?
Posted by: christinadw | July 01, 2009 at 02:45 PM
We stay in the neighborhood and bike around, enjoying the fireworks that other folks light off. Going downtown is way too much of a hassle.
Posted by: zinemama | July 01, 2009 at 03:15 PM
ugh, I am with christinadw! I don't know if this is a Pacific Northwest tradition, but I have never lived in a city where there are so many bozos who think bright flashes and loud noises are amusing. It's been like this in each of the three neighborhoods I'ved lived in, and goes on for several nights, freaking out animals and waking up babies and making a huge mess in the streets and parks (big shocker, these people don't clean up after themselves). Annoying
Posted by: not loving the 4th | July 01, 2009 at 03:25 PM
I am already dreading the 4th. In our neighborhood it has already started, it sounds like little Beirut! My poor chihuahua is petrified and my golden retriever is in hiding trying to squeeze her 85# body under the bed.... Plus my chickens are due to move outside this weekend and I am scared the noise will scare them to death.. literally!
My 7 year old is terrified, she even screams in terror when PIX restaurant lights a sparkler on a birthday cake. I long for my days living in Sun Valley, ID where fireworks were eventually banned due to wildfire danger...
I so hate this holiday and hate picking up the mess from the neighbors the next day and Oh! Fireworks continue in my 'hood for about a month after the 4th. Yep. Good times.
Grumble, Grumble.
Posted by: jennifer | July 01, 2009 at 03:57 PM
I agree with Jennifer and Christina...nothing like the fireworks keeping me awake until 1am, knowing that the kids will wake me up at 6...fun holiday.
But, as for viewings of the downtown fireworks, I wonder how it would all look from Powell Butte?
Posted by: Kristin | July 01, 2009 at 04:02 PM
Agreed. And so fun when you have a newborn AND an over-anxious dog. It's always bad, but that year, for me, July 4 meant a solid week with almost no sleep. BAN BACKYARD FIREWORKS! Except sparklers, and anything else that doesn't make noise.
Posted by: anon | July 01, 2009 at 04:03 PM
I know Chip Shields passed some legislation limiting the amount of days fireworks can be lit in Portland. I was excited at first but then remembered that people who are already lighting illegal fireworks aren't prolly going to observe that law.
Last year it was about 6 weeks, my dog, who usually doesn't react started looking at me like....."can't you stop this?" as we got towards the end of July.
I grew up in a city where itty-bitty firecrackers were sold in back alleys like illicit drugs. I think my daughter was 10 before she held a sparkler. Our neighbor's daughter was 3 years old lighting stuff from the fireworks stand.
The idea of fund-raising by selling explosives is kinda weird to me.
Posted by: ProtestMama | July 01, 2009 at 05:15 PM
We use a noise machine for the little one to sleep. She didn't wake up once last year, either from the downtown fireworks or the neighborhood variety. Our older daughter and my husband rode the trail-a-bike down to OMSI to watch last year, but that ended up being too loud for our then 5 year old, so they rode back up the hill to the burger king parking lot on Grand. Maybe not the most comfortable place, but being on bikes and a little ways up from the real action, they got to miss the traffic getting home.
Posted by: AR | July 01, 2009 at 08:37 PM
yep, same here, firecrackers all month long. the first year we were here our dog tore a hole in the screen door trying to get in...this was because it was like the 1st of july and we weren't prepared. nightmare every year.
as for viewing, we like it near the the eastbank esplanade. crowded and dusty depending on where you go, but great view. we park a couple blocks off MLK. not a bad walk to the car and by the time we get back, traffic is a little less and we get out pretty easy. i've always wanted to do estacada. oh, we did tigard one year...pretty painless, nice view form the football field.
Posted by: shannon | July 01, 2009 at 09:28 PM
I agree, the neighborhood fireworks are a bit out of hand, but there's really nothing to do but join in the fun. Hiding in your house imagining you are in a war zone can't be helpful. Pull out your lawn chairs, grab some ear plugs for the kids, and enjoy an evening outside. The only other solution is to head way south where people don't have easy access to all the big fireworks in Washington. Enjoy the 4th everyone!
Posted by: CC | July 01, 2009 at 09:29 PM
After growing up watching my drunk relatives set off the illegal fireworks every fourth I haven't been exactly thrilled about this holiday. A few years ago my friend's mother lost one of her eyes from a firecracker. My boys do get excited about the holiday though so we usually grill out and sit on blankets in our own yard and watch other people's fireworks.
Posted by: Heidi | July 01, 2009 at 10:06 PM
As to the OP's question about where to go to see a fireworks show, we usually go to Banks, OR for their show. It is a bit far (about 40-45 minutes or so from Portland) but it is fun and not that crowded, compared to the shows in and around Portland. The waterfront show is nuts, and way overwhelming!
The town of Banks is right off Hwy 26 and the show is at their city park located right on the main street through town, impossible to miss because Banks is tiny. There is a parking lot across the street and grass to sit on at the park. People bring blankets, chairs, food, their own little fireworks, etc. Show starts at dusk. And if you really want the "redneck" small town experience, go early and watch the dirt track car races and demolition derby that happen before dark at the park. But be aware that the races are really loud. Happy 4th!
Posted by: j | July 01, 2009 at 10:24 PM
We're going down to the river by OMSI like last year... 5yo loves the show but thinks it is too loud. I've got earplugs for him this year so he will go. :)
Posted by: LizardMama | July 01, 2009 at 10:37 PM
The other two not mentioned yet are Corbett and Cascade Locks. I haven't been to the Corbett show, but know lots of people who go every year and love it. Because of limited access on the two lane road in to town, sounds like it's best to make a day/evening of it so you're not stuck in the back up.
I don't know if Cascade Locks is having a show this year, but the one year I went was lovely. The riverside park right there in town has expansive lawns and there were tons of kids running around. Even small tents.
Posted by: cc | July 02, 2009 at 06:59 AM
Last year we put a big box fan in my son's room (2 years old) to generate white noise. He slept through the whole thing.
But our favorite place to spend the 4th is at the ocean. We go up to the Washington Coast. Everyone does fireworks on the beach so they are not right next to your house. (We stay with family about 1 mile from the beach). We just drive the car up and down the beach and watch everyone else!
Posted by: Kristi | July 02, 2009 at 09:03 AM
We go to the bluff overlooking Oaks Park and watch their display from there, around where SE 7th ave meets SE Sellwood Blvd. The fireworks are good sized from that point, but it isn't as loud for sensitive kids (like mine). There aren't generally a lot of people setting fireworks off in the street there.
Posted by: alaska | July 02, 2009 at 01:55 PM
Corbett is great for the 4th. On the grounds of the school, plenty of room to spread out. Bring a picnic or buy the usual "fair food"-type of stuff on sight. Seems like there is usually a band or two playing until fireworks start. Fire Department presence the entire day. The only downfall, as another poster mentioned, is the traffic leaving. Just make sure everyone has had a potty break before getting into the car and exercise a little patience and it's workable, though.
Posted by: Sheryl | July 02, 2009 at 02:36 PM
We parked the car up on Marine Drive (opposite fort vancouver) one year, bit of a crowd, but not insane...
Posted by: Lisa | July 02, 2009 at 10:34 PM
we are going to check out the show in Tigard this year, I hope it isn't too crowded.
Posted by: Native_Momma | July 02, 2009 at 10:52 PM
I heard that the Vancouver show is cancelled this year for $ reasons.
Posted by: j | July 02, 2009 at 11:01 PM
hey mamas,
This may work for someone else over the next few days of explosions. After about an hour on hysterical barking I had to figure out something so my child could sleep. I found a package of dog treats, sat next to my dog, took the first one and slowly broke it into small bits. Every time something exploded, I tossed her a bit, either up in the air so she had to jump or down on the floor so she had to track it. It took a few minutes but she was finally so focused on on the food that she seemed to stop paying attention to the fireworks, or at least using them as a cue that she was about to get a treat. I made a whole package last for about two and a half hours - not the healthiest thing, I know, but it got her through.
A dog trainer recommended this technique for us a few years ago, but the dog was so uptight back then that it didn't work - food just wouldn't distract her from things that she hated, like other dogs. But this year, coupled with her normal anti anxiety meds, it worked, at least for fireworks.
Posted by: anon | July 04, 2009 at 11:56 PM
Ugh. The fourth and fireworks - the natural enemy of babies and dogs, as my girlfriend likes to say. My one year old was scared to death, shaking and crying until 2am due to the neighborhood blasts. And woke up in the am to find bottle rockets lodged in the tree out front - scary!
Posted by: anonamama | July 07, 2009 at 02:13 PM