After the sun set over Eagle Lake Monday evening, bright colors such as purple, blue and green lit up the night sky.
The area around Eagle Lake was crowded with cars packed on either side of Eagle Lake Road, with visitors from Edwardsburg and surrounding areas wanting to get a front row view to the lake’s annual fireworks display, which took place on Monday, June 3.
Those who were unable to get close to the waterfront sat on the roofs of cars parked on nearby streets or set out lawn chairs in the parking lots of nearby businesses and churches.
For some, the fireworks at Eagle Lake were simply convenient to attend as they were close to home. For others, the firework display is a tradition.
Diana Comer, of Edwardsburg, attended the fireworks with her husband and two of her grandchildren.
Comer said that though nearby areas may have bigger firework displays, Edwardsburg is her home and the place she wants to celebrate the Fourth of July.
“It’s just a tradition for us to come see the fireworks,” Comer said. “We’ve been coming for many, many years.”
Edwardsburg resident Jackie Estes and her two children have also been going to see the Edwardsburg fireworks for years.
Out of fear of not being able to find parking, Estes and her family came to Eagle Lake Monday morning, nearly 12 hours before the evening’s display. To pass the time, she and her daughters swam in the lake and played sports like football.
“It’s really beautiful here,” Estes said of Eagle Lake. “We come here because it’s the fireworks that I think are truly fun for the whole family.”
No matter the reason they came, visitors were impressed by the fireworks. Many audibly oohed and ahhed as multi-colored designs lit up the sky.
Many children were particularly impressed.
“The fireworks are super cool, so are the colors,” said Luna Bonillia, of Elkhart, Indiana. “I like being here because the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday.”
By the time the firework display was over and the sky had cleared, many visitors were talking about how they enjoyed the display and how they wished there were more fireworks to watch.
“That’s it? [The fireworks] were so cool,” said one child as he and his father walked back to their car from a dock on the lake. “I want to see more.”
The boy’s father responded with a plan that many of the fireworks observers already had.
“I guess we will just have to come back next year.”