Fourth faithful find soggy celebration

Colorful umbrellas shot up along with the eye-popping fireworks Monday night, the steady rain keeping many Independence Day revelers away from celebrations in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

But American patriotism was still on display, at first tucked away in the drier nooks and crannies of the indoors and later -- after the rain subsided -- with the dazzling brilliance of the fireworks display that lit the Mississippi River skyline in Cape Girardeau and the City Park in Jackson.

There were examples of America everywhere.

There was the little girl in the red-and-white shirt and matching beads dancing to musician Kevin Danzig, who played inside Buckner Brewing Co. in downtown Cape Girardeau's Libertyfest.

There was 5-year-old Mary Kay Burnett, who didn't let the fact that she has cerebral palsy keep her or her mom from decorating her wheelchair with flags and ribbons.

She wasn't going to let a little rain prevent her from participating in the delayed costume parade down Broadway, in which she won a ribbon.

The Dixieland Band found a nice spot under a downtown awning before plucking "Billy and the Low Ground." Others waved flags, told patriotic stories or listened to strolling fiddler Steve Schaffner.

In other words, they made do.

"I'm liking it," said Cape Girardeau resident Larry Underberg, who attended Libertyfest. "I enjoy the crowds, but I'm not going to let a little rain spoil it. Rain happens."

It also didn't stop Underberg from reflecting on the meaning of Independence Day.

"For me, it's a celebration of individual freedoms," Underberg said. "For me, there are certain values that I have that are tied to Independence Day -- freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the right to dissent."

The rain dampened the spirits of organizers of Libertyfest, sending them scrambling to find places to hold events inside. They tried to take it in stride.

"It's hard to argue with rain when we need it this bad," said Chuck Martin, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, which helped promote the event.

Old Town Cape executive director Tim Arbeiter said they did the best they could under the circumstances. He estimated attendance for the fireworks display at 5,500. The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band canceled its performance because of the rain, but other groups simply moved inside.

In Jackson, part of the celebration began before the rain, with a 5K run, car show and children's rides. But the clouds turned dark and shortly before 5 p.m., the rains came, sending people scrambling for shelter. But several hundred people showed up for the fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

When the fireworks started in Cape Girardeau at 10 p.m., the smaller but still respectable crowd sang along with the national anthem.

Marsha Toll, chairwoman of the Old Town Cape committee that organized Libertyfest, said she spent part of the day thinking about the soldiers in Iraq.

Toll was listening to a female Marine on the radio talking about how, even though she's in Iraq in harm's way, the soldier still "celebrated America" on July 4.

"That was truly amazing," Toll said. "We like to barbecue and spend time with family. But if she can find a connection to her country and feel good about it, there's no reason why all of us can't."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137