An afternoon of fun to remember followed by a fireworks display to never forget

GROOVIN' ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Annabelle Lockhart, 2, of Rochester shows her moves Saturday afternoon at the the Lilac Family Fun Festival (Rochester Voice photos)

ROCHESTER - Everyone got their groove on Saturday at Rochester's Lilac Family Fun Festival, from two-year-old Annabelle Lockhart of Rochester, to dad and daughter Nick Bellows and Bailey, 8, of Rochester, and ages north and south as well.
On a warm, sunsplashed day - with a cool breeze to cut down on heat exhaustion worries - well over a thousand turned out to celebrate summer, the recent 4th of July weekend, free kiddie rides and a few hours of family relaxation, fun and frivolity.

THE WILD ONE: A youngster takes his motorcycle riding to heart as he enjoys one of the free kiddie rides at the Lilac Family Fun Festival on Saturday in Rochester.

They came by the carload, armed with blankets, lawn chairs, and all manner of diversionary accouterments such as a young family would need to keep their younguns entertained through a long afternoon.
Many had their area staked out on the spacious confines of Hugo Bolin Field by 4:15 p.m. That's almost five hours before gametime, which in this case was a spectacular 20-minute fireworks display that got going about 15 minutes

DANCIN' WITH DAD; Nick Bellows of Rochester and his daughter, Bailey, eight, dance to a tune belted out by Whiskey Bent and The Hell Hounds

later than its 9 p.m. schedule.
But trust this writer, it was worth the wait. At least two times into the pyrotechnic frenzy, this writer called out the finale, only to see the show go on and on. When the finale did finally end, you'd have thought the Patriots had just beaten Tampa Bay in the 2023 Super Bowl the cheers were so strong.
As for live entertainment, after a rousing, patriotic musical show put on by the Strafford Wind Symphony, Whiskey Bent and The Hell Hounds took it from there

WAITIN' FOR THE SHOW: The crowd continues to build on Hugo Bolin Field at Spaulding High during the afternoon with folks still pouring in just before the pyrotechnics began

and played all the way to fireworks laying down some heavy southern rock that worked the crowd - especially the kids - into a dither.
Some of their final songs by Bob Seeger and Lynyrd Skynyrd turned the frenzy up a notch, and their final tune, Johnny Cash's "Folsom City Blues," invoked the spirit of a prison uprising as kids bounced off each other, fell on the ground, laughed and did it again.
Trust this writer, no one got hurt, but we were thinking, "Let's get these fireworks going, now!"
And even for those who stayed for the full five

THE THREE AMIGAS: From left, Libby Simic, Bella Joyal and Adriana Caddick, all 12 and of Strafford, stretch out as they enjoy the music of Whiskey Bent and The Hell Hounds

hours found there were plenty of things to do to break up the long afternoon.
There were the free kiddie rides, carnival games like the water pistol game and plenty of carnival food like fried dough and fresh lemonade down beside the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center.
At the south end of Hugo Bolin Field there were a dozen or so community vendors like Waypoint and Rochester Opera House as well as carnival type vendors selling trinkets and clothing.
Kidde ride lines were heavy in the early part of the event but thinned out as the afternoon waned. When the fireworks were finally over around 9:45, the gal hawking the water pistol game was still hawking hard.

"Come on, I still got prizes to give away," she screeched.
Many young people lingered in the bright, neon carnival lights not wanting the night to end.