While a lot of people at Independence Park clustered under awnings or the main picnic shelter to wait out the rain, some children and youth took the opportunity to splash in puddles forming on the sidewalks.

“It’s fun, and we wanted to play,” Luciana Swanson said, explaining why she ran out into the rain. Luciana joined hands with Lydia Hibner, Hailey Hibner and Logan Swanson to dance in the puddles.

While the rain cut short some of the planned festivities for America’s 250th anniversary, events like a performance by the band DRIVE, and the annual fireworks display, still went on.

“The community always comes out for this one,” said Marshall Community Education Coordinator Jasmine DeSmet.

Photo by Deb Gau Harley Snyder and Haylee Snyder took a bite of s'mores served up by volunteers at Independence Park on Saturday afternoon. Customers could choose from a few different s'mores using different kinds of chocolate bars.

DeSmet said as long as there wasn’t an active storm going on, the weather wouldn’t affect the fireworks. The display was “a little bigger and better” in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary, she said.

On Saturday, the fourth festivities and food trucks started drawing a crowd of people to Independence Park right around opening time at 5 p.m. In addition to the food, there were attractions like bubbles and a duck pond game by the Lyon County Historical Society.

“We were looking at things we haven’t done before, or haven’t done in a while,” Lyon County Museum Director Jennifer Andries said of planning for America’s 250th. The Historical Society hadn’t been part of Marshall’s July Fourth celebrations in the park for some time, so they brought back the duck pond, she said.

Nearby, volunteers toasted marshmallows over a grill to make s’mores, with a variety of different chocolate bars to go in the treats.

“It’s good,” said Harley Snyder, after taking a few bites of a dark chocolate s’more.

Monica Woods said this year was her first time taking her family to Marshall for the 4th of July concert and fireworks. “We’re anxious for the music to start,” she said.

Karolyn Torres said her kids were also looking forward to the special activities Saturday. But the atmosphere at the park on the Fourth was something their family enjoyed every year.

“We like being able to come and hang out,” Torres said.

The Marshall city band was able to play a few medleys of patriotic songs Saturday evening, before oncoming rain cut the performance short.

The weather prevented the rest of the city band concert from taking place, as well as a planned reading of the Declaration of Independence. Fortunately, the rain cleared with enough time for DRIVE to still take the stage and play a variety of high-energy pop and rock songs.

DeSmet said getting Marshall area residents together as a community was always a big goal for planning events like the Flourth of July celebrations. It was good to see the response to Saturday’s events, she said.

“It’s a great thing about (this) job, to see people gathering and enjoying the community,” she said.