After many months of planning and days of preparation and decoration in Lititz Springs Park, Tim Reedy, Fourth of July Celebration Committee Chairperson, faced one final decision on Saturday morning: whether or not to hold the 198th Continuous Lititz Fourth of July Celebration despite rain showers, overcast skies, and a forecast calling for precipitation until late afternoon.

The committee moved forward with the celebration, opening the park an hour and a half later than scheduled to allow time for the ground to dry out. Wooden boards covered some muddy areas and mulch filled some slick spots, but a light drizzle that fell throughout most of the day didn’t dampen the spirits of those who came, many for the first time, to enjoy Independence Day in Lititz.

“I can’t believe how patriotic Pennsylvania is,” said Erik Avis, a first-time visitor to the festivities. Avis, who recently left the Marines after serving overseas in Afghanistan and Japan, is staying locally with family before starting at the Penn State-Berks campus.

“I love seeing the American flags,” said Avis, “I’m a huge patriot at heart.”

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Earlier in the week, over 4,000 flags were placed in the Lititz Moravian Church Square by a team of volunteers organized by veteran Matt Good. Flags flanked the streets of downtown Lititz on July Fourth and were plentiful in the park.

Even those who were not new to the Lititz celebration, which is the second longest-running continuous celebration in the country, had the opportunity for a new and unique experience in the park.

Veteran WJTL radio personality Lisa Landis, emcee for the event, experienced a career first on Saturday.

“I got to introduce Elvis!” Landis said before announcing and judging the 26th Annual Baby Parade. “I never thought I would be introducing Elvis in my lifetime.”

Tapped to emcee a variety of events in the face of uncertain weather, Landis confided that she brought along more than a few clothing options, including the evening gown she was asked to wear to emcee the Queen of Candles Pageant.

“I joked to my husband as I left the house because I felt like a diva today, because I didn’t know what to bring to wear because of the weather,” Landis said. “I think the Cookie Car has more clothes than cookies this year.”

This marks the fourth year that Landis has hosted the Lititz Fourth of July. Her duties including introducing the  professional entertainers lined up for the event, including the musicians.

“I really enjoy being a part of the Lititz Community Band,” Landis said. “We’re here to celebrate our country. We’re here to celebrate the Fourth of July. The music is so much a part of that,” she said.

The patriotic music played by the Lititz Community Band struck a chord with the audience, including a number that seemed fitting for the drizzly day.

“This is the Thunder and Lightning Polka by Strauss,” said band director Heidi Limbert towards the end of their hour-long concert, “and it moves.”

And move is exactly what many celebration attendees did, especially to the music of Mama Tried Band, who performed first at the gazebo where a dance floor was set up and later in the band shell, where people of all ages danced in front of the stage.

“We wanted to get something that introduced us to the Lititz crowd and that got them up and dancing,” said Mama Tried lead singer Dorden Bivings. “That’s what it’s all about.”

When Bivings first moved to Lancaster ten years ago, his first job was at the Wilbur Chocolate factory, adjacent to Lititz Springs Park.

“I passed this park every day, and never came here,” Bivings said. Saturday marked his first visit to the park. “Here it is ten years later, I’m celebrating July 4th with my family, and it’s just great.”

The 74th Queen of the Candles Pageant culminated with the crowning of this year’s queen, Reagan Elizabeth Conrad, selected by her classmates at Warwick High School. She then led her court to the stone bridge, where she lit the first candle along Lititz Run, the flame of which illuminated the park in the 172nd Grand Illumination of Candles.

Conner Kim, 11, confessed that he didn’t want to attend the festivities Saturday, his first time at the Lititz event.

“When my parents told me I’m coming here I didn’t want to come, but now that I came I’m really enjoying it,” he said, standing in the glow of rows of candles stretched the length of the park. “It looks really beautiful.”

Though the event was lightly attended during the day, there was a better turnout for the evening fireworks display.

Matthew Sweigart is a fan of last year’s Wizard of Oz fireworks extravaganza, which was synchronized to rock music.

“It’s going to be hard to top,” said Sweigart, who was attending for the sixth year with his wife. Sweigart’s nephew, Erik Avis, looked forward to his first Lititz fireworks show as he snacked on fried zucchini while waiting in line at the Brewster’s Barbecue truck.

“They said the Fourth of July fireworks here was awesome,” said Avis. “This year they have the fifties theme, so I can’t wait to see that.”

A woman from Puerto Rico waiting for the fireworks to begin was so impressed with her first-time visit to Lititz, that she wants to move here. “Me encanta,” she said in Spanish with a smile, which translates to “I love it.”

After the crowds crossed over the park into the fields, there was some DJ-led group dancing before the pyrotechnics began.

“I have to admit, dancing to the Cupid shuffle with thousands of other excited, patriotic friends was quite the fun experience,” wrote photographer Megan Nicole on Instagram of her experience. It was the first time she was actually inside the park for the Lititz fireworks.

After a day of firsts, the Fourth of July ended with a bang in Lititz, both colorful and synchronized to music. The finale burst in the sky behind Wilbur Chocolate. It was Red, White, and Cool.

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