- November 1, 2024
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Thousands of people gathered July 3 along the Nathan Benderson Park lake from Sarasota to University Town Center.
No matter where they found a parking spot or set down their blankets, the view was spectacular as they became part of Fireworks on the Lake.
Many tailgaters gravitated to the parking lot at the Mall at UTC. The more seasoned of those brought grills, buffet tables and cornhole games. Others simply popped their hatchbacks, and had a seat.
At the park, the party was kicked off with the Fireworks on the Lake 5K run. The finish tower hosted a VIP party, while a festival took place throughout the park. Kettle of Fish entertained the adults in the crowd with live music before the main event, while the kids hopped through bounce houses, ran through bubbles and chomped on watermelon in the Kids Zone.
The Detwiler family, plus friends and staff, sliced and served 6,000 plus triangles of watermelon from their market. The market also donated about 4,000 cookies. Co-owner Henry Detwiler looked like the pied piper as he wove through the crowd with a tray full of cookies.
As the sun set, the music died down and the bounce houses were deflated, giving way to the fireworks show. The main event lasted about 15 minutes, but judging by the oohs and aahs, the fireworks did not disappoint.