Celebrating independence Harrisburg July 4 display attracts huge audience

HARRISBURG - Harrisburg's July 4 celebration attracted people from across the region Saturday evening, as cars filled the Saline County Fairgrounds and lined up in nearly every available spot within view of the display.

Social distancing requirements meant people couldn't sit in the grandstands this year, according to Harrisburg Mayor John McPeek, and people were asked to either watch from cars or not mingle in large groups outside of cars and wear masks if groups of people would be close.

Nearly every spot a car could park along nearby Veterans Drive was filled with onlookers, and Harrisburg police guided traffic before and after the show.

"Thank you citizens of Harrisburg for a great Fourth of July weekend," McPeek said on a social media post. "Just promise me we will #stepupandcleanup."

The hashtag is a reference to the city's new cleanup effort to encourage people not to litter and to work together to remove existing litter from the community.

See more photos on page 4.