LAUREL — The community of Laurel is gearing up for one final fireworks show at Thomson Park after decades of hosting the Fourth of July event there.
The show, which is put on by the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department, brings tens of thousands to the town each year for the celebration and has always been held at that park.
Watch the final setup at Thomson Park:
However, new AstroTurf sports fields are being built in the area connected to Graff Elementary School — which is also being torn down — making the park no longer a viable option for the show.
Longtime Laurel resident Del "Big Mo" Henman — who said he can't remember missing a show — said it means a lot to the community.
"I don't even know if you can express it in words," Henman said. "It's huge, especially to the longtime Laurel residents."
Henman sees many benefits from the celebration, both for the memories and as a business owner. He and his wife, Mary Henman, opened up a popular ice cream shop, MoCones, 22 years ago, and he said their business is heightened when folks come to town for the Fourth.
"It's just a fun place for people to go and just have fun and run into people they haven't seen in awhile," Henman said of his shop. "When people come to town for the Fourth, it's good for every business."
Henman has also participated in the show, playing records in the park for all the visitors waiting for the explosives.
All are reasons why Henman was saddened when he heard that Thomson Park could no longer host.
"It's not going to be the same," Henman said. "It's pretty devastating, especially for the hometown folks."
The residents aren't the only ones upset with the reality that this could be the final show at Thomson Park. Captain KC Bieber with the fire department said it's affecting him and the department.
"It's kinda heavy," Bieber said. "The possibility of us moving to a location where the public can't see us is kind of heartbreaking."
Bieber, who's a third-generation Laurel firefighter, said he understands just how important this show is to the entire region.
"It's something that ties us together," Bieber said. "It's our way of celebrating those freedoms that veterans way before us or currently serving in the military have given us the right to do."
On Thursday, Bieber was hard at work setting up for the show. He said he's looking forward to welcoming all those visitors on Friday night.
"One of my favorite parts of the entire day of the Fourth is watching how this quiet little community, with like 7,500 people normally, just grows," Bieber said.
Even with questions in the air about the show's future, there is hope.
"I know the firemen are still going to shoot off fireworks somewhere," Henman said.
And the department is determined to adapt to the changes.
"No questions asked, the show will go on," Bieber said. "Our goal is to always make it bigger, better, and more spectacular. It's going to keep doing the same thing regardless of where those shells are fired from."
