LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Thousands of people in Lakeland celebrated the Fourth of July a day early.
This year marked the 25th year the city hosted Red, White and Kaboom.
News Channel 8 reporter Nicole Rogers asked Auhbru Brown, “How many years have you been coming here?”
“Probably 11 years,” she responded.
Brown is 11 and has been coming to the annual celebration since she was a newborn.
She said there are two main things that bring her back each year.
“Spending time with my family and seeing the fireworks,” she explained.
Calli Peace, 11, was decorated in glitter and red, white and blue, and has been attending the event since she was a little girl.
She was happy to see the beautiful firework display yet again.
“I get to just hang out here with my friends and watch the pretty fireworks,” she said.
Across the street from Lake Mirror, the Maker’s Market brought plenty of food options.
Food like Dom Dagosteino’s meatball sub.
“Everyone here is a maker in a sentence, we all make our own products, everything we make, and then sell into the community,” he explained.
Dagosteino showed News Channel 8 exactly what went into his creations as he fed some of the thousands of people passing by.
“I make food from scratch using carefully selected ingredients,” he explained. “It’s Dominic’s. Tonight, we’re serving meatballs, marinara sauce, sausage, peppers, and onions, but my specialty is truly the meatballs and marinara sauce.”
Outside of the delicious food and firework show, patriotism filled downtown Lakeland Thursday night.
“I love America always, always support,” Amanda Lammermeier said.
“We get to celebrate the people who fought for our country,” 9-year-old Cherish Siedlecki added.
