Julie Gregory said her family will be celebrating the Fourth outside, rain or shine.
“We’ll play in the rain. We can blow stuff up in the rain if we can keep it all lit,” Gregory said. “We’ll get wet. We don’t mind.”
Gregory said her family is going to a pre-Fourth of July party to spend time with friends but said Thursday will be a day for family fun.
“It’ll be all about homemade ice cream and watching the kids shoot off fireworks,” she said.
Gregory said she is looking forward to seeing the city’s firework show. The show can be viewed from the middle and high school parking lots and will begin at 9 p.m.
“Eudora puts on a great show, and we can see it from our house,” she said.
Eric Ganson helps run the Knights of Columbus firework stand to fundraise for various programs, including the school district, the church and Kansas Special Olympics.
“This is our biggest fundraiser we have,” Ganson said.
The stand will be open on Thursday until they sell out.
Ken Keiter is hosting a celebration at his house to watch the city’s firework show and will have his own firework display afterwards.
“It’s a family gathering and friends. We’ve got about 40 to 50 people supposed to show up tomorrow night,” Keiter said.
Keiter said if it rains, they will just move the celebration to Friday night.
Keiter hopes the holiday can be a time for him to relax and enjoy the fireworks.
“I’m hoping this year we have enough older nieces and nephews that are willing to light the fireworks so I can sit back and watch,” he said.
Crystal Meier will be spending her holiday helping out with the Grand Slam firework stand. The stand is a fundraiser for the Eudora Baseball and Softball Association to help them buy uniforms, new equipment and pay umpires.
“This is our main program and 100% of the money goes back to that program,” she said.
The stand will be open until 11:30 p.m. Thursday.
Mandy Shockley and her son, Brian, shopped for fireworks before their celebration. She said her favorite tradition is getting to be with friends and family.
“We have a cookout. We have friends come over and play yard games and shoot off a bunch of fireworks,” she said.
Fireworks can be set off from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on the Fourth.
Reach reporter Ryn Drummond at [email protected].
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