This event, sponsored by the Lindquist family and WSU, included a 60-minute concert featuring the New American Philharmonic, which played Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, followed by one of the largest firework displays in Utah.

“The pops concert has been a long-standing tradition in my family,” said Charles Thompson, a WSU senior majoring in music education and cello player for the pops concert. “I go every year that I am still in town. More recently, I was accepted into the orchestra a few years ago playing the cello. Now I feel very lucky to help ensure that the concert remains a tradition in Ogden.”

Although this event is significant for Ogden and its surrounding communities, some in attendance came from as far as Salt Lake City.

“I came to the concert this year because both the music and the fireworks are amazing,” said Lexi Johnson, a University of Utah junior majoring in history and ancient civilizations. “I even brought a few of my sorority sisters from the University of Utah, and they loved it as much as I did.”

A concert and fireworks display of this magnitude presents potential challenges to the event coordinators and participating musicians. Weather is always a factor in the planning of this event, and this year, though the skies were threatening, no rain was in sight.

“The concerts are a very exciting event, but it comes with its challenges,” Thompson said. “Sometimes it is difficult to stay together with the amplification system. It creates a delay in the sound, so the group really has to focus. The weather plays another challenging role. I remember one year it started to rain. It was only a light storm, but still, we are out in the open with our instruments exposed.”

This annual event shines the spotlight on the Ogden community, illustrating to the rest of the state what assets Ogden provides for the Utah population.

“The fireworks were as good, if not better, than other fireworks I’ve seen this year,” said Casey Wilkerson, a WSU sophomore majoring in chemistry. “The orchestra in the background adds a patriotic feeling to it, and my kids just loved it. During the finale, there was a series of nothing but purple and gold that got a healthy cheer. I was a few blocks off campus and could hear the loud cheering from the stadium when the finale was over — such a fantastic show of WSU support.”

Wilkerson said he appreciated that the show this year was held on a Sunday, because it gave him a chance to enjoy family time with his two young children.

“It’s a good chance to get out and enjoy a cool summer night with the family and have good, wholesome fun. And it’s a huge event for the community, with the stadium packed with people and no parking within a mile of campus. There had to have been at least 5,000 people watching them.”