Last year: Fireworks at Washington DC. This year: Fireworks at Tempe Town Lake. The verdict?The Washington DC fireworks show was rather disappointing. It was nice while it lasted, but after an adequate ending sequence, it was suddenly over, and I craved more. The show lasted about 15-20 minutes. I don't remember much about the music that went along with it. I guess it wasn't very memorable.
The Tempe fireworks show was quite fun. We went last minute, and I was worried we would miss the show since it started while we were in the car, but shortly after, we found a [free] parking spot. At first I was disappointed that we missed the beginning, but after 30 minutes, I was asking myself "These are pretty, but now I'm bored." At least the music was good. The fireworks lasted around 45 minutes. It had a neat false ending about halfway through that I liked, and the actual end was quite spectacular. However, the in between parts got boring. (Though the designs were fun, it was just too long.) I think it should have been at least 15 minutes shorter.
Maybe I'm super picky, but I think the ideal show time is between 20 and 35 minutes. The show needs a nice start, a slow period with some exciting surprises, and a false adequate ending followed by a spectacular finale.
So the verdict? The Tempe show was definitely better. HOWEVER, the Washington DC experience wins out. Maybe that's a little unfair, because Washington DC obviously has cooler sights to see, but that's exactly why it wins. I got to spend the day seeing for the first time the history of our country. That's what the 4th of July is all about. In 2009, none of the bands at the DC show were any good in my opinion. However, I notice that this year, David Archuleta, Gladys Knight, and the National Symphony Orchestra are all part of the show. I would have loved to hear that combination! Plus, seeing the Washington Monument next to the fireworks was pretty neat. The Washington DC event was free while Tempe Town Lake costs $5-$10 (though I watched from outside the gate so it was free).
