Behind the scenes, everyday Bostonians usher in a 250th birthday

Fireworks erupt over the Charles River on Saturday, July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

It’s safe to say the people of Boston haven’t changed much over the last 250 years. Resilient, rebellious, resolute, rowdy. These all speak to what defines, and what has defined Bostonians since the days of the American Revolution.

Crowds found refuge under Harvard Bridge during a short rainstorm Saturday, July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

The start of the 250th anniversary festivities was delayed by an hour due to inclement weather.

Kayakers sheltered under Harvard Bridge during a brief downpour on Saturday, July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

Many attendees huddled under Storrow Drive bridges and tunnels, taking the foul weather in stride.

Attendees return to the Esplanade after a rain delay on Saturday, July 4 in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

Once the storms subsided, performances from Trombone Shorty, Chance the Rapper, Lainey Wilson and Megan Hilty shook the rain from everybody’s system. And the Boston Pops, led by conductor Keith Lockhart, came to impress yet again.

Everett residents Wei Dong, left, and Ling Huang watch the Boston Pops July 4 Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

One detail driving home the weight of the 250th anniversary was the amount of security in and around the Esplanade. Police and state troopers stood at every corner, officers on horseback announced their presence without a word and Storrow Drive had barricade after barricade.

State troopers move to clear attendees from the Esplanade after lightning was forecast for the area ahead of the Boston Pops July 4 Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, July 4 in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

The crowd also heard from Governor Maura Healey, Boston mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Poet Laureate Regie Gibson throughout the evening.

Sausage stand workers take orders on Saturday, July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

Donnie Hudson poses for a photograph on Saturday, July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston. Hudson, visiting from south Florida, says there's "no better place to be for the 4th." Dan Murphy / GBH News

The fireworks met, and simultaneously obliterated my expectations. I assumed that Boston would step up the show for the 250th anniversary, and it did not disappoint.

Fireworks explode over the Charles River during the Boston Pops July 4 Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

At times, it looked as if one could reach out and grab the sparks out of the sky. Those on the Esplanade’s islands, myself included, were showered with a fair amount of soot and burnt paper from the fireworks.

Attendees watch as fireworks light up the sky above the Charles River during the Boston Pops July 4 Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

As people left the festivities, some took the rare opportunity of enjoying the closure of one of Boston’s busiest roadways.

A group of young adults sit on a picnic blanket in the middle of Storrow Drive following the conclusion of the Boston Pops July 4 Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston. Dan Murphy / GBH News

Some people sat down with picnic blankets in the middle of Storrow Drive. Others, much to the chagrin of state troopers, climbed the fences that separate Storrow Drive from Back Bay.
Boston has come so far in the 250-year history of the United States. Still, the people and the ideals that drive them remain as strong as they were during the Revolution.
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