IDAHO FALLS — The final Melaleuca Freedom Celebration went out with a bang as 18,915 firework shells lit up the sky over Snake River Landing Saturday night.
People from all over the world gathered to watch the spectacular 31-minute display, believed to be the largest fireworks show in Idaho’s history.
At 10:03 p.m., one shell was launched high into the sky before exploding into a beautiful array of colors.
Melaleuca Executive Chairman Frank VanderSloot then said the following:
Good evening. This is Frank Vandersloot with Melaleuca. In a few minutes, we will begin a 31-minute tribute to the men and women who gave their lives, their limbs, and their loved ones, so that we can live in a free country. Tonight, we celebrate the 250th birthday of the greatest nation on earth, the United States of America. I’m proud to be an American. This is the 33rd year that Melaleuca has sponsored the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration. Unfortunately, this is our final and last year, because we’re losing our venue here at Snake River Landing. We appreciate Ball Ventures making this wonderful venue available to us for the last 10 years. I want to thank everyone in the community for the wonderful support we’ve had from you throughout the years, from all over southeastern Idaho. It warms my heart every time I hear of kids coming home to Idaho Falls from all over the country to be here on the Fourth of July. The response from the community has been tremendous. So, from all of us at Melaleuca, we want to say thank you, and I want to say thank you personally from me and my dear wife, Belinda, for your amazing support. You have made this a wonderful experience for us. In our opinion, there’s no better place to raise a family than right here in Idaho Falls. So, thank you. Now, please join us as we pay tribute to our military heroes and to their families, to them, and to all of you. We say, Happy Birthday, America.
The fireworks then began as a patriotic, choreographed soundtrack aired live on Classy 97 KLCE.
Original story from East Idaho News.
