Red, White & Boom a success despite downpour

People clad in red, white and blue ventured down to the Red, White & Boom celebration in Cape Coral on Monday.

The annual Fourth of July party featured a fun zone with inflatable rides for the kids, a street festival of vendors, a 5K run and live musical acts.

"We're here on vacation and it sounded like fun," said Marlene Falkerson of Louisville, Ky.

The event was dampened a bit when rain poured for two hours Monday afternoon, but the weather improved and things kept rocking.

The headliner this year, Heidi Newfield, was presented by Cat Country 107.1.

"Cat Country brings in really great talent," said Elmer Tabor, chairman of Red, White & Boom.

Newfield rocked the Roger Dean Chevrolet stage with her new single "Stay Up Late," and also sang her prior hits and some songs from when she was lead singer of the band Trick Pony.

The event was capped with a 20-minute fireworks display. The fireworks almost didn't make it after the truck carrying them broke down in Bradenton, but with hard work, everything was set up in time, Tabor said.

"The kids love the fireworks," said Catherine Coleman, a Cape resident.

After the fireworks display was an "American Tribute," which featured a 21-explosive salute and Harley-Davidson motorcycles and was dedicated to veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The names of Southwest Florida soldiers who died in those wars were read off as the Harleys were shut down one by one, until there was silence.

"It's easy to forget what the Fourth of July is about," Tabor said.

He noted it's not about the hot dogs and the festivals, but about freedom and honoring the soldiers who fought for it.

Red, White & Boom could not be successful without all the volunteers, Tabor said. The event had more than 130 volunteers who started at 6 a.m. and worked well into Tuesday morning.

"I know the job inside and out, and the volunteers know the job inside and out, too," Tabor said.

Many of the Boom volunteers have been working at the event for years, and Tabor said that's why the event runs so smoothly.