With Tropical Storm Bill threatening the Gulf Coast, many students worry about bad weather ruining their Independence Day plans.
“I’d be upset because I’m planning on going fishing,” general studies senior Todd McBride said.
Business senior Anna Macey said she plans to barbecue with her friends and family over the holiday, but the storm could ruin her plans.
“I would feel terrible because we were going to watch fireworks,” she said. “You have to do all that stuff outside, a tropical storm would ruin that.”
Weather permitting, many students plan to celebrate Independence Day by traveling and enjoying the events around town.
“I’m going to Grand Isle to hang out,” incoming biological sciences freshman Sunny Landrit said.
Baton Rouge’s annual “Star Spangled Celebration” will be held downtown at the Baton Rouge riverfront.
Maurey Drummond, executive director of the USS KiddWith, said the annual downtown celebration would go on despite the bad weather.
“The storm is going to be gone,” Drummond said. “If they shoot the fireworks, we will go ahead, if not, we have a rain-out date [set for] Saturday.”
The celebration begins at 8 a.m. with a one-mile run and continues with live performances throughout the day from musical groups such as Jett Williams, Hank Williams’s daughter, and Lafayette natives The Fa-Tras Cajun Band.
The USS Kidd will be open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. for touring. The Kidd also will hold a mock “attack” with World War II aircraft reenacting an attack on the battleship.
F-15 “Eagle” jet fighters will start the evening off with a fly-by, followed by the authentic re-inactment. The guns on the USS Kidd fire one pound shells for the re-enactment, because anything heavier would shatter windows in the city, according to the Kidd’s website.
McBride said he has enjoyed the “Star Spangled Celebration” in the past.
“I liked the fireworks,” he said. “The last time I went they had a few good bands.”
The evening will end with a fireworks display over the Mississippi River, starting at 9 p.m.
The downtown fireworks display has been going on for more than 30 years, Denise Adams, marketing manager for WBRZ Channel 2 said.
“WBRZ was one of the original sponsors,” Adams said. “It is the biggest display in the state.”
Adams said she expects more than 100,000 people to view the fireworks display from both sides of the Mississippi River.
“The show will last about 20 minutes,” she said. “It’s synchronized with music broadcasted on WYNK, WFMF, The River 96.1, WJBO and The Score.”
But the downtown festivities are not the only show in town.
A Fourth of July parade is set for 9:30 a.m. in Kenilworth subdivision. The parade will run down Kenilworth Parkway and includes floats, marching groups and horse riders.
A picnic on the Kenilworth Club grounds will follow the parade.
Six Flags New Orleans also is celebrating with fireworks. The show is free with park admission and begins at 9 p.m.