WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- As the sun beat down on Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre, vendors made sure they were ready to provide refreshments to the thousands expected here for the city's annual Fourth of July celebration.
"I'm prepared. Line 'em up, I'll take care of 'em," laughed Tony Thomas, a lemonade vendor.
Balloons or birds in hand, folks came to celebrate the Fourth of July.
"It's great, it's really good. Especially for the bird; she likes attention," joked Saige Kleyman of Bear Creek Township with her parrot, Stella, on her hand.
Meanwhile on the other side of Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre, crews worked to set up fireworks for the night's grand finale.
"Today I think it's going to have a full effect and I'm definitely getting front-row seats," said Shantae Lawrence of Wilkes-Barre. "I got my chair and everything."
Shantae Lawrence says she and her family come to this event every year and know where the 'sweet spot' is for the fireworks show.
"I got my chair set up over here, yeah, I got my chair set up and everything and my little cooler," added Lawrence.
Families are excited about all the fun that still lies ahead, but they are not forgetting the reason behind it all.
"It's called Independence Day and that's when you get to be independent," explained Kleyman.
"Fourth of July. Independence, everybody who works hard, they deserve it and it needs to be notarized and it's a fun-loving feeling ... I wouldn't miss it for the world. I wouldn't, I wouldn't," said Lawrence.