LAS CRUCES – Attendees to the city’s Fourth of July celebration concert and fireworks show on the New Mexico State University got plenty of bang for their buck, both from Mother Nature and pyrotechnics.
The free event, sponsored by the city and NMSU, featured concerts on a large stage followed by a fireworks show at the Pat and Lou Sisbarro Community Park. The park gates opened at 6 pm, though stormy weather in the distance put attendees on notice.
About 6:45 pm, as thunder rolled, a few sprinkles of rain fell, and harsh winds picked up, members of the NMSU Police Department asked attendees to leave to park and wait in their cars for 30 minutes as part of a weather safety policy . Guests were let back in to the park about 7:30 pm and the weather mostly cooperated for the rest of the night.
Raúl Malo, front man of the Grammy Award winning band the Mavericks, opened the show. Pop rock band Plain White T’s, whose 2006 song “Hey There, Delilah,” was a massive hit, headlined the concert. About 10 p.m., the city’s large fireworks display began, ending the holiday with a bang.
Phil Catanach, recreation administrator, said the evening capped off a successful Independence Day weekend for the city, which also included organizing a 5K run and the Electric Light Parade the evening of July 3.
“Tonight is just about bringing our community together and celebrating our nation’s freedom. That’s what’s all about,” he said.
Guests in the most patriotic clothing
Most attendees to the concert and fireworks show Monday evening wore red, white and blue, of course. Here’s a look at six of our favorite outfits from the night.
Two Become Onesie: Kelly and Justin Bolig wore patriotic onesies for their first Fourth of July as a married couple. To match what he thought would be a hot, summer night, Justin ripped off the sleeves of his onesie only for the rain and wind to make him question his decision.
Tip of the Hat: “Go red, white, and blue!” said Aaron Davis, sporting a cowboy motif. Davis wore a stars-and-stripes cowboy hat with matching socks and shorts.
Lady of Liberty: Virgie Martinez, wearing a beautiful red, white and blue star-spangled sundress, said she was thankful to the organizers for putting on an event she was happy to enjoy with her daughter in-law and grandkids.
Family Ties: The Beverido family wore matching tie-dye shirts. Parents Luis Beverido and Mayte Fernández thought it was important for their kids to celebrate the holiday. “It’s important for our kids to be proud of where they’re from,” Fernandez said.
1, 2, 3, 4 … What a Thrift Score: Ashleigh Merritt couldn’t wait to hear the Plain White T’s perform while in her stars and stripes outfit, made of clothing purchased entirely at thrift stores.
good boy How could we not include Chappa with his adorable red, white and blue dyed ears and brows!
Annya Loya is a general assignment reporter and can be reached at [email protected] or @annyaloya on Twitter.
The city and New Mexico State University hosted the 2022 4th of July celebration concert and fireworks for the community to enjoy and celebrate the country. While enjoying the festivities, we spotted some patriotic fashionistas, check them out!
The rock band The Plain White T’s headlined at the at the Pat and Lou Sisbarro Community Park on NMSU main campus with a solo performance by Raul Malo, front man of the GRAMMY Award winning band the Mavericks, opening the show.
Recreation administration for the city of Las Cruces Phil Catanach was looking forward to the concert after a successful 4th of July weekend which so far included the 5k run and Electric Light Parade on July 3rd.
“Tonight is just about bringing our community together and celebrating our nation’s freedom. That’s what’s all about,” Catanach said.
Attendees got to enjoy the free concert under a cloudy sky but that didn’t stop them from having a good time and for some, even dressing up the part.
Members of the community decided to show their patriotism through their outfits and here’s a list of our top 5 favorite ones of the night:
A moment of uncertainty
Before the concert was set to start at 6 pm, the weather had already put people on alert as the skies remained cloudy, lighting was seen from afar and the harsh winds were kicking them out. Around 6:45 am, the Las Cruces and NMSU police department began removing guests from the park and asked them to wait in their cars for 30 minutes as part of their weather safety policy. Catanach explained that while there was uncertainty about the concert status, the fireworks will still go off. At 7:15 pm, LCPD still wasn’t letting people in, despite the 30 minute mark. A couple of families decided to leave the event entirely but the majority stayed in hope the concert would still happen. Around 7:30 pm, organizers let the families back in and right after, Malo began to play.
Close to 10 pm, the Plain White T’s finished their show and the fireworks began, ending the holiday with a bang.
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