Jennings kicks of 4th of July weekend

Posted: Jul 1, 2011 11:02 PM by Shawn Kline
Updated: Jul 1, 2011 11:03 PM

In Jennings, the 20th annual Stars and Stripes Celebration ends with a bang, despite a statewide burn ban.

The Jennings Fire Department began setting up for the show early Friday morning; taking every possible precaution because of dry grass- triggering a burn ban last month.
In Jennings' Louisiana Oil and Gas Park, you could find music, dancing, food and just a good all-American time. Everyone, celebrating the nation's birthday-- three days early.
When the sun went down, it was the main event drawing everyone's attention to the sky.

"It really brings you back to when you were a kid," one sightseer said.

A time that almost didn't happen this year. Across I-10 at the airport, fire officials say it was all business.

"We're adding more fire trucks to the situation," Fire Chief Hulin Theriot said.

Chief Theriot says the statewide burn ban raises some concern but he's not letting the drought stop this
show.

"These guys have preparing for this (for weeks)." Theriot says, "it's rewarding to watch a good show go up and everything goes successful."

After all, the show must go on.