Rain doesn't dampen spirits for Elysian Fourth of July celebration
Jul. 2—ELYSIAN — A rainy Saturday did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of people who gathered for Elysian's third day of Fourth of July celebrations this weekend.
Event coordinator Pat Nusbaum said planning for the city's biggest event of the year actually begins in October.
She said the Elysian staple is more than just a celebration; it draws people together.
"When you see people that you haven't seen in a year or more and they come back, there's a lot of class reunions planned around this weekend, they aren't here, they're at other places, but they all meet so they can come here," she said.
About 200 volunteers are behind the holiday celebration, according to Nusbaum.
Volunteers Jacob James and Ellie James, who is also a board member on the Elysian Chamber of Commerce, said a lot of hard work goes into planning, but it's worth it when they see their efforts come to fruition.
"We meet monthly, and the majority of the months that we meet, we primarily plan for the Fourth," Ellie said. "The people really remind us why we do what we do. When we see the kids enjoying it and the families coming out, it just really reminds us and solidifies why we participate and why we volunteer."
"It's fun seeing and talking to everybody and just seeing new faces in town," Jacob added.
The five-day event, which wraps up on Monday, still has plenty of activities left for people of all ages to take part in, including the Fireman's Dance on Sunday and the Grand Parade on Monday.
The event draws families of all ages together.
Ten-year-old Clare O'Connor, eight-year-old Paul O'Connor and 10-year-old Quinn Byron said they were all looking forward to the fireworks but were excited for other parts of the event, too.
"It's really fun to celebrate the Fourth of July because we get to have fun and we play a lot of games," Clare said.
