Downtown Morgan Hill - 7:00 pm

   

For the past 14 years one of Morgan Hill's most popular July 4th celebrations takes place, not on July 4th, but on the 3rd. The Independence Day Street Dance is held downtown the night of the third - the perfect precursor for the fireworks and parade. A live band, food and drink set the stage for an evening of people-watching and sharing Morgan Hill's community and family spirit. Families gather for an outdoor dinner, sit around enjoying the music, dance, and socialize with old friends, new friends and everyone else in town.

Street Dance Committee Chairman, Dennis Dal Poggetto has organized this fantastic event for years. It is the responsibility of Dennis and his assistant, Manny Padilla, to coordinate every detail including street closures, security, food and beverages, licenses and permits, tents and porta potties, set-up, teardown and Dennis' personal favorite, clean-up. None of this could happen without Jeff Puckett and Tim Goodell who coordinate all of the clean-up efforts for all of the events.

The origins of the Street Dance date back to 1992 when Rich Devlin of the local band, The Dadz, volunteered to have his band play as a fundraiser for the Independence Day, Inc. (IDI) 4th of July Event organizers. The first street dance was held in the parking lot of the former Jack's Steak House in downtown Morgan Hill. Since then our town has grown and so has this event. The Independence Day Street Dance has evolved into Morgan Hill's Most popular "night on the Town" and attracts a crowd of thousands.
The evening starts off with "The Star Spangled Banner" at 7pm. The Usual Suspects will be back this year, performing their high-energy classic rock.

Tickets for drinks will be sold beginning at 6:30. All the other entertainment, of course, is free to the public. And we'll have a variety of vendors providing food.

Whether you are new to Morgan Hill or have lived here all your life, the Street Dance is the perfect place to experience the spirit of our town.

Thanks for all your community support,
Dennis Dal Poggetto
Street Dance Chairman

Morgan Hill Community Park - DARK

Fireworks are always the main event of any Fourth of July. How could we celebrate independence without them? Waiting for the sky to darken, (around 9:30 p.m.) the crowd will be entertained, beginning at 7 p.m., by a live band. The Dadz will play throughout the evening. Stage announcements at 8:00 followed by a real treat. If you missed th Patriotic Sign (held on July 3rd at the Britton gym) you'll have another chance to hear schoolchildren sing your favorite American songs. As the crowd "Oohs and Aahs" to each exploding firework effect, few are aware of the work involved in producing a 4th of July show like Morgan Hill's. Several months before the 4th of July, members of IDI meet with the fireworks contractor and discuss the overall needs of the show. This meeting includes setting the fireworks budget, discussing the shooting site requirements and establishing safety guidelines with the Fire and Police Departments to ensure that an exciting program can be shot while ensuring the public's safety.

Three to four months before the 4th, the fireworks contractor "builds" the show, selecting from thousands of possible pyrotechnic devices to create a unique show that will look great over Morgan Hill's Community Park. IDI's fireworks contractor is Fireworks America. Each year their staff travels all over the world testing and purchasing some of the most unique pyrotechnic devices available. Tonight's show will feature fireworks from Germany, Spain, China and Japan, as well as several domestically (many California) manufactured products. Also several months before the show, Fireworks America dispatches a licensed pyrotechnician to survey the firing site and provide additional input on product selection. Jim Acker, a San Martin resident, has worked as the Master Pyrotechnician for the Morgan Hill show, with the help of local pyrotechnicians Roark Titers and Mike Froess, both residents of the south County. The three men have assembled a team of pyro-assistants that have worked to produce fireworks shows for Superbowls, Olympics, Major League Baseball, Football, Hockey events and large rock and roll shows.

A month before the 4th, the equipment is finalized and checked. Racks for shooting the shells are inspected. Final pyrotechnic equipment counts are confirmed. On July 3rd, the equipment is laid out where it will be used on the following day. Measurements are taken and distances ar checked. The script for the show is run through to be sure that everything is where it should be. On the morning of the 4th, the pyrotechnicians arrive with the fireworks. Each and every firework has a specific number and each of them are carefully laid out into a specific location for firing. While some fireworks displays are still shot by using a fuse that is lit with a road flare, the Morgan Hill show has been fired electrically for several years. Each firework has a small wire connected to a central computer control that launches each firework with split second accuracy.