Fireworks pierce the night sky

With the Fourth of July falling during midweek, celebrations for the holiday will start this weekend. Americans celebrate their independence differently this summer weekend: some barbeque, some go down the Delaware and some of us will make sure that we see fireworks.

Some of the local firework displays rival the big cities in color, sound and duration of the magnificent explosions. My agenda lies in seeing some of the best local fireworks possible.

But there’s plenty else on the agenda as well. This Friday you may want to start your weekend off with some local entertainment. The Ritz Company Playhouse (570/226-9752) will kick off its 35th season of live community theater with the performance of “Urinetown, the Musical.”

“Urinetown” is a futuristic comedy about the Earth’s dried up water supply. The three-time Tony Award-winning comedy will begin at 8:00 p.m.

The Ritz Company Playhouse, located in downtown Hawley, PA on Keystone Street, is a charming 1930s-style, art deco theater that hosts wonderful music productions over the summer. The group, a non-profit community- based theater, casts local talents in their musicals.

Tickets for Friday night’s performance will cost $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students.

During their season, which runs from the end of June to the end of September, the theater will also feature young community actors and actresses in Ritz Bitz Players performances. This local theater’s production, while way off Broadway, will make you forget that you are out in the country. See page 19 to see the listings for future performance dates and times.

This Saturday, the place to be will be Narrowsburg, NY, which will hold its annual Fourth of July festivities that day. After many years as coordinator of this event, the Narrowsburg Fire Department has the annual holiday figured out to a “T.”

The festivities begin at 1:00 p.m. with the annual parade. The parade begins at Narrowsburg Motors and travels down Erie Street, up and around Main Street and over Bridge Street to where it began.

Each year, the parade draws more and more people to town to see the fire departments, local marching bands, clubs and so much more that circle the small hamlet in red, white and blue.

You may have worked up some hunger watching the parade. If so, head up to the fire department for its good old-fashioned chicken barbeque. The take-out meal consists of half a chicken, roll and butter, corn, coleslaw, potato and dessert. The meal can be taken by the river to enjoy.

You don’t want to wander too far from town that day, because Narrowsburg will have its annual fireworks display at dusk. You’ll want to have blankets, chairs and warm clothing, as even at this time of year temperatures may get chilly after dusk. The fireworks will be lit off by the Delaware River and the Landers Campgrounds, so all of Narrowsburg can see them.

On Sunday, you may want to hang out with the family a bit and barbeque. With the popularity of barbeque on the rise, they are no longer hot-dog-and-hamburger-only events. They can now feature almost any type of smoked meats and sausages, grilled vegetables and all sorts of artisan salads.

If you are not a master of the grill, The Alpine Wurst and Meat House in Honesdale, PA (570/253-5899) has freshly prepared breads, pies and salads. When it comes to meats, The Alpine is unbeatable in variety. They carry all sorts of sausages and hand-cut meats.

After the weekend, the fireworks won’t be over yet. You must make your way over to Honesdale on Tuesday evening for its Fourth of July celebration ((honesdale.com)).

Honesdale’s beautiful Central Park will be a starting spot for the celebration. From 5:00 p.m. there will be children’s activities, live music and all sorts of food vendors. This will also be a great location to set up and get ready for the fireworks. As in Narrowsburg, dress warmly and bring blankets and chairs to sit on.

Honesdale’s fireworks display is legendary. The fireworks, beginning at dusk, are set off on Irving Cliff, some 300 feet above the city. The display goes on for about an hour. An impressive crew of firework lighters makes sure that there is no pause in the beautiful blooms of the fireworks. The finale can be seen and heard for miles.

This Fourth of July weekend, please don’t forget that our forefathers were fighting for our freedom. And be thankful that they did, because you are enjoying a holiday that may never have been.