Dragons, Fireworks Make Perfect Fourth

5th/3rd Field crowd on July 3

Fireworks fans are illuminated near the Patterson St bridge in Dayton

There is nothing like a ball game on the Fourth of July followed by the best fireworks in western Ohio. The Dayton Dragons are in a slump so it was no surprise they couldn't keep up with the big bats from Ft Wayne. But the fans in 5th/3rd field didn't seem to mind in the perfect 70-degree evening with clear skies begging for their annual fireworks paint that was coming at dark. Everyone's a winner on the 4th of July.

We estimated 30,000 people witnessed the fireworks. The best vantage points were from the Patterson St bridge and the banks of the Little Miami River. The fireworks are launched from Deeds Point. More revellers were spotted north of the river as far away as the McDonalds parking lot on N. Dixie.

The lights from the ballpark illuimate the street and nearby buildings.

The best part of the day was seeing downtown Dayton come alive. With the adjacent Cityfolk Festival there was a bigger crowd than usual on the streets outside the stadium watching the game through the fence.