DETROIT – A few errant rain showers didn’t dampen the 2019 Ford Fireworks or the enthusiasm of the crowd on Belle Isle.
The island was so popular, Michigan State Police shut the bridge down to vehicular traffic before 9 p.m. because they had reached the 3,000-car limit.
No alcohol, tents or canopies were allowed. Michigan State Police and the Department of Natural Resources wanted a family-friendly environment on the island. They’ve succeeded. Many families made a day of it.
“I love it here because I grew up here. I’m 34 years old, and this is all I know,” Kristyn Brown said.
The smell of charcoal grills permeates the air, and it goes way beyond hot dogs. “Well, I got sausages here, we’ve got fish frying over here, okra, shrimp on a stick, fried shrimp, orange roughy and lamb chops,” Al Gray Jr. said.
While the adults talk and visit, the kids spend the day playing hopscotch and football and being enthralled with the Detroit firefighters and their engine truck. The firefighters took time to let everybody try on their helmets.