Monday, July 6, 2026

[PHOTOSTORY 2: OUTDOORS] Downtown Perry Celebrates the 250th Birthday of America

 By: Jackson McKenzie

Crowds begin to gather in Downtown Perry, Georgia to celebrate America's 250th Birthday July 4. Perry's celebration, known as "Red, White, & Boom", has been an annual tradition since 2017.

Amanda Finch, dressed as Lady Liberty, welcomes guest as they arrive for the festivities. Finch is an acrobat performer with over two decades of experience and has served as Lady Liberty for the past three years at the celebration.

Families begin to fill the front lawn and take pictures in preparation for the celebration. The event is expected to have over 12,00 attendees, the most it has ever had before.

Luke Mastervick strolls the streets of downtown dressed as Donald Trump. Mastervick dressed as Trump in hopes of bringing laughter to everyone at the celebration regardless of their political views.

Julie Forrester promotes a new brewery coming to Downtown Perry to ongoing patrons. Vendors line the streets to promote local businesses and build engagement with residents of Perry.

Beth Tabor explains to a patron how to participate in a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) pop-up memorial. Tabor is a member of the DAR and helped set up the table with other members.

American flags line the sidewalk to create the full DAR memorial. Each flag contained the name of a Veteran who the writer would like to be remembered.

Bronwyn Young helps place American flags for the memorial. Young is also a member of the DAR and assist those needing help participating.

Jacob Weil of Middle Georgia Gellyball leads a pop-up interactive shooting game for kids. The celebration features many interactive activities for kids to enjoy besides the fireworks and vendors.

At the main stage, DJ Lawrence Taylor hypes the growing crowd up with music. Taylor, professionally known as DJ Mix Master T, has served at the event for three years and has DJ'd as far as the Dominican Republic.

Finch dances with an attendee as the celebration starts to gear up. Finch and Taylor serve as a big part of getting the crowd up involved and excited as dusk approaches for the fireworks.

Kelley Dukes participates in the "Wobble" dance. Dukes is a Warner Robins native who attended the event for the first time this year after hearing about it from word of mouth.

Grace Williams, dressed as a founding father, screams in excitement as her favorite song comes on during a dance-off at the main stage. Williams has attended the celebration for the past eight years and dresses up for it each time.

As dusk approaches the main lawn becomes packed with excited attendees eagerly ready for the fireworks. Throughout Houston County, Perry's celebration is the only one who held fireworks on July 4 with others happening days or even weeks before the actual date. 

Only a couple of streets away from the main stage, hundreds of unlit fireworks quietly await blast off to light up the sky. The show will use more than five different types of fireworks.

Adam Dotson of Southern Sky Fireworks prepares the last few fireworks in preparation for the big show. Dotson has been a technician for the celebration for almost half a decade. 

A firework is carefully wrapped and prepared with just an hour to spare before the show. The crew in charge of the fireworks had been delicately preparing the show since 1 p.m. the prior day July 3.

Back at the main stage the crowd dances and celebrates one last time as the sun sets behind the buildings in Perry. A laser light show accompanied DJ Taylor along with his final run of music.

While other dance, friends Mark Eversgerd (left) and Beth Brittain (right) play Mahjong as they wait for the fireworks to begin. Both Eversgerd and Brittain have attended the celebration since its creation.

Jack and Nisha Banter watch as the fireworks begin to end the celebration. Throughout the show 670 fireworks were fired to celebrate America's Semiquincentennial.

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