July 4th at OSV

We were out at the lake for July 4th and I knew that Old Sturbridge Village was having some sort of July 4th events but it just seemed wrong to pay to see fireworks. But the more I looked around for other options, OSV had so many activities going on along with the fireworks it made the $12 ticket price worthwhile. Judging from the throngs of people there, it looks like OSV had a very successful event which is great because it's a wonderful place that was in rough shape financially a few years ago.

We arrived about an hour early and scored a picnic table next to the parking lot. We had a little picnic dinner and I carted along the s'mores maker to ensure an extra-sticky evening. When I first saw the s'mores maker I thought it was a little hokey, but it works pretty well. So my kids will grow up thinking you toast marshmallows over a Sterno can in a toasted marshmallow-shaped ceramic container with fondue forks instead of hunting for the perfect stick, cleaning the leaves, bird poop, and spider webs off, and toasting them over a campfire, but what the heck. Anyway, after the picnic the kids ran around in the woods and then we headed into OSV.

There was a magician, a juggler, a pie-eating contest, sack races & a hoop-throwing game, and if that wasn't enough excitement, there was a reading of the Declaration of Independence. There were a few different period "bands" (think fife & drum, not rap & hip hop) scattered around, and by 8:30 we headed to one of the designated areas to find a fireworks-viewing spot in a cow pasture. Yes, there was a giant cow pattie right next to our blanket but it was pretty benign. There were 50+ kids running around while we waited for the moon to rise out of the viewing area, and then it was finally time for the fireworks. They were pretty impressive considering the locale, and when they were over, the real fun started.

We spent the next hour and a half shuffling toward the parking lot and then waiting for the cars around us to move. Some Jabroni started giving the parking lot attendant crap, the police were called, and it was complete gridlock while a police car tried to swim against the tide of 2,000 cars trying to leave. We didn't even bother to start the car...we just stood around and watched the show.

We finally got home around midnight and everyone passed out, my favorite part of the night. There's a limit to how much family fun I can handle.

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Here's a video of the kids doing a couple of heats of the sack race, and you can watch a video of Adlani in the pie-eating contest here: http://lockmommy.blogspot.com/2009/07/no-mo-fro.html

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