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The Town of Thorsby held its annual fireworks show and gathering on July 1 at Richard Wood Park.

Residents from throughout the county converged upon downtown Thorsby, as many arrived early with their folding chairs and lined the streets to catch a good glimpse of the show.

“It’s great to see,” Thorsby Mayor Robert Hight said. “We need all of the attention that we can get.”

The event was held on the Sunday prior to the Fourth of July instead of Wednesday as it had been in recent years.

Although a decision to move the date was not agreed upon until late in the process, a large crowd was on hand to take part in the festivities.

The amount of people attending the event appeared to be more, which Hight attributed to the move to Sunday.

As has been the tradition over the years, the theme of the event was a mixture of both patriotic and religious vibes.

Thorsby First Baptist Church Pastor Marc Hodges directed the ceremony throughout the night.

The festivities included prayers and songs from various religious leaders and groups in the area.

According to Hight, more church leaders have shown an interest in wanting to get involved and participate in next year’s event.

Ice cream was available and provided relief from the summer temperatures for those in attendance.

The ceremony came to a fitting close as veterans from each branch of the military came forth from the crowd and stood together.

After they were recognized, a wreath was placed at the veterans memorial monument at Richard Wood Park and “Taps” was played to honor all the men and women that died as members of the military.

Once the sun went down, the fireworks did their part in lighting up the night sky.

The move to Sunday proved to be a positive decision and something that appears here to stay moving forward.

“Next year we should have even more promotion and buildup leading up to it,” Hight said.