Jenna and Fritz Tanis came to the fireworks in Herndon prepared, with a tent comfortable for four no matter how much rain fell.
They brought their son Jaden, 1, to his first fireworks along with older brother Devin, 3.
For much of the beginning portion of the evening at Bready Park, the Tanis family had one of the best seats on the field.
About 20 minutes before 8 p.m., when rain stopped, more spectators started showing and filling in spaces around the Tanis family.
After racing in a sack race, Alexander Ayala, 11, had an answer for his favorite part of July 4 that would make his teachers and parents proud.
“Everybody can celebrate their independence because of the soldiers that fought for our freedom,” he said.
Shane Woolley and Andres Bachalet, of Vienna, took advantage of the Independence Day festivities to try to sign up more people to vote in November’s elections.
Grandmother Shelby Gordon brought her grandchildren Valarie Kitchen, 8, and Kendall Blevens, 9. Before the fireworks, the sisters enjoyed getting their faces painted side by side.
Valarie said she’s already been photographed in a magazine and been featured in a television commercial before.
Frank Palma, 4, got to pick the colors of the balloons that magically turned into the shapes of animals while he and his sister, Sienna, 2, and mother Shamita Palma watched.
Rain and shine, Herndon’s fireworks dazzled hundreds Monday.
The Town of Herndon provided a family-fun event featuring games, patriotic arts and craft activities, live music, family games, bingo, food, balloon artists and more.
Events took place in Bready Park at the Herndon Community Center, 814 Ferndale Ave.