PEA RIDGE — The night skies lit with fireworks of all colors Sunday night and punctuated by booms, crackles and oohs and aahs as the fourth annual Freedom Fest came to a close.
More than 900 people attended the celebration Sunday which began with a car show about 4 p.m. south of First Assembly of God on Weston Street.
Children climbed on and jumped in bounce houses. Families set up blankets and lawn chairs to listen to music, eat the free food and enjoy the fellowship of the gathering.
The event is a cooperative effort between several churches - New Life Fellowship, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church, New Life Church and River of Faith Church - as well as the Pea Ridge Optimist Club and several businesses, according to First Assembly of God pastor Edwin Brewer. Brewer, also owner of USA Fireworks, donated $5,000 worth of fireworks used for the fireworks display. Brewer said Tysons, Sarah Lee, Marvin’s Foods and Dr. Barry Scott are major contributors to the community event.
“We couldn’t do this without everybody who contributes,” Brewer said.
Firefighters from the Pea RidgeVolunteer Fire Department, including Fire Chief Frank Rizzio, assistant chiefs Dino Collins and Andy Fletcher, Duane Fletcher, Jim Cantrell, Paul Simpkins, Jim Harmon and Brandon Jones, helped set up the fireworks, discharge them, and clean up the debris.
“I sell shows like this all over the state,” Brewer, who has run the fireworks company for 21 years, said.
“This is a lot more than we’ve ever done,” he said of this year’s event.
The grand finale was the “American Celebration” with three specific fireworks - one, a white wall, the other two with red and blue tips.
News, Pages 16 on 06/29/2011