Fourth of July Fireworks in Bridgewater, New Jersey

One event that totally takes me back to my childhood is the 4th of July Fireworks Celebration held every year at North Branch Park (otherwise known as the 4-H Fairgrounds) in Bridgewater, NJ. As a little girl growing up in Branchburg, New Jersey, I would go with my parents every year, setting up blankets and lawn chairs on the hill and running around with all the other kids until it got dark enough for the fireworks. The tradition didn't end even when I was a surly teenager, though I would hitch a ride with my parents to the park and then pretend I didn't know them until it was time to go home after the last of the fireworks exploded overhead.

According to a long standing annual tradition, Rex and the girls and I spend the week from his birthday through the 4th of July at our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey every year, so I haven't been to the Independence Day celebration near where I grew up in Bridgewater, NJ, for at least 15 years.

Even without Roxy and family, it is still one of the best fireworks displays in the Morris and Somerset County area. This year's event will be held on Friday, July 4, 2008, from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, starting with a tropically themed family festival that includes live musical entertainment by "Verdict" and "Smooth." Fireworks start at 9:30pm.