Marysville celebrates Independence Day

The city of Marysville held their third annual public fireworks show this year.

The first year the event was held at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, however because of the pandemic the last two Fourth of July celebrations were moved so that they were near to Ebey Waterfront Park so that families could watch the fireworks display from multiple vantage points.

Planning for the Independence Day celebration began in the early months of this year and city officials opted to proceed with a show they knew they could put on.

“Our residents have always appreciated having a way to celebrate the Fourth,” said Connie Mennie, communications administrator with the city of Marysville. “Every year it gets a little more attended."

The city wanted to provide a fun community event, especially after personal fireworks were banned a few years ago.

“Our elected leaders wanted to provide somewhere to celebrate our country’s independence,” said Mennie.

Families pulled out lawn chairs and filled Ebey Waterfront Park, and also set up at Asbery Field and the Marysville Mall to watch the fireworks display.

Chelsea Lee attended this year’s event with her children.

“We’ve recently moved to Marysville and they need a sense of normalcy,” said Lee. “This is his [Chelsea’s son] first fireworks show, so I think it’s going to be a blast for him,” she said.

She also said it was good to establish family bonds.

“It’s tradition and we need to be rooted in tradition,” said Lee.

Local Michelle Davis attended last year's event and wanted to come back this year as well.

“We thought it was a great opportunity during COVID and we loved the length of the show. It was a great show,” she said.

She said she likes “having something in our own back yard.”

Residents enjoy having a fireworks display to watch in their city, said Mennie.

“I think they like being able to celebrate in their own home, in their background,” she said. “It’s some place to celebrate with your friends and neighbors, which I think is more needed than ever. Community is really important for our residents."

This year’s show also brought food trucks to Ebey Waterfront Park and in Asbery Field, where trucks had lines of families looking for ice cream and dinner.

Whether next year’s show will return to the Marysville-Pilchuck High School field or will again be held in the downtown area has not been discussed yet, said Mennie.

“There hasn’t been a decision about that yet,” she said.